What we need to know about

The WorldWithout Energy…

The WorldWith Energy

Types of Energy

• Hydroelectricity• Solar• Wind• Tidal / Wave• Geothermal

Renewable

• Coal• Oil• Natural Gas

Non-Renewable

Nuclear

Energy

Political decisions/impacts

Economic impactsSocial impacts

Sustainability

Definition:  investigation of how humans harness and use energy on our planet.

Importance:◦ Studies renewable energy supply technologies◦ Research on how energy can be produced in a

sustainable manner◦ Studies the environmental impact from:

Extraction smog

◦ Research on energy management, that is how we can use existing energy supplies more efficiently

Energy Studies: Definition & Importance

Overall Air QualityOf Megacities

The major energy-related sources for each of these local pollutants are:

HCs motor vehiclesNOx all forms of combustionCO motor vehiclesSOx coal-fired power plants and factoriesSPM diesel-powered vehicles and coal-fired plants,for particles < 1 micron in size

S Iswaran stresses importance of energy securityBy Wong Siew Ying | Posted: 02 March 2012

SINGAPORE : Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran on Friday said that as Singapore restructures its economy, it has to continue to strengthen its energy security.

This is to ensure that Singapore has a reliable and competitively-priced energy supply.To encourage businesses to conserve energy, the government will allocate about S$100 million to extend the Economic Development Board's Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET), and pilot repayable financing schemes.

It will also conduct trials on selected businesses and households in Punggol to gauge the effectiveness of smart metres, in-home display units and applications, which allow consumers to monitor electricity consumption in real-time.

Low Thia Khiang, MP for Aljunied GRC, asked: "Besides the new initiative in Punggol monitoring the use of electricity for households, would the government also extend the same help or assistance to households to educate them how to use energy or electricity efficiently and thereby save some electrical costs?"

In response, Mr Iswaran said; "This is something we are totally committed to...An important part of this effort is indeed the pricing of electricity. Because if we subsidise electricity, then we are dulling the instincts of the average consumer in appreciating what is the true cost of this very scarce and precious resource. 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1186635/1/.html

Green Mark

Green Buildings in Singapore

http://www.servcorp.com.sg/common/CONTENTS/LOCATION/MBF.jpg

http://images.travelpod.com/users/rkctoronto/1.1278533831.ion-orchard-it-s-not-a-gallery-it-s-a-mall.jpg

Affluent Singapore had the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific in 2010, conservation group WWF said Monday.

The environmental advocacy group said Singapore's 2010 per capita gross domestic product of more than $40,000 -- one of the highest in the region -- fuelled exorbitant consumption habits.

"The building sector in Singapore is responsible for 15 percent of the nation's footprint... If you consider the amount of construction going on, it's a substantial number," he said.

Singapore's National Environment Agency has said the city-state is dependent on fossil fuels because its small size limits its ability to switch to alternative sources.

Singapore top carbon emitter in Asia-Pacific: WWFMonday, Mar 05, 2012

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120305-331773.html

Energy insecurity -> Conflicts

Vietnam-China Spratly Islands dispute threatens to escalateTensions between China and Vietnam have risen in recent weeks, with Vietnam expressing alarm at what it says are increasingly aggressive actions by China in disputed waters.

The escalating tension has fueled anti-Chinese sentiment across Vietnam, with hundreds taking to the streets in rare protests in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

June 16, 2011

Oil Exploration: Connection with History & Economic Development

325 BCAlexander the Great

347 ADChinese used petroleum

1273 Marco Polo in the Caspian Sea saw

petroleum being used as medicine and lighting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4sykoUWZ8g

1896Henry Ford’s 1st

motor car

1903Wright Brothers 1st

flight

1914-1918WWI

Supply of oil was essential

1939-1945WWII

US embargo of oil weakened Japan:

Pearl Harbour

1979-1981Dramatic increase of oil price:

from $13.00 to $34.00

2004Record price: $55.60/barrel

2006Record high:

$78.50

2008Record high:

$147.20

1991Gulf WAR

2003US invasion of

Iraq to overthrow Saddam

Hussein

Standard of living

Variety of products

Economic Development

Environmental Degradation

Conflicts

Prices

IMPACTS OFOIL INDUSTRY

How does this affectSingaporeans?

Oil and Water – do they mix?

OIL AND CONFLICTA NATURAL MIX

WWI WWII Gulf Wars Spratly Islands

Scarcity

Conflicts

PricesReading: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3625207.stm

Oil Spill: BP

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13123036

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill in depth: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10317116

Reading:

Oil spill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10309001

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13123036

Advantages Disadvantages

• Emits low amounts of carbon dioxide

• Radioactive waste is difficult to dispose of

• Low contribution to global warming

• Needs specialized personnel

• High amount of energy can be produced with a small quantity of Uranium

• Needs a lot of capital to start, run and maintain the plant

• Relatively safe • High security standards: can be terrorist targets or human error / complacency can lead to a nuclear disaster (Chernobyl)

• It is sustainable despite the fact that Uranium is scarce

• Not only the environment, but health will be affected: disease or mutation. The radiation can spread far and wide.

Nuclear Energy

April 26, 1986 The world's worst nuclear accident occurred

after an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It released radiation over much of Europe. Thirty-one people died iin the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Hundreds of thousands of residents were moved from the area and a similar number are believed to have suffered from the effects of radiation exposure.

Nuclear Disaster

More information:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456957/html/nn1page1.stm

http://www.cna.ca/curriculum/cna_world_energy_res/nuclear_energy-eng.asp?bc=Nuclear%20Energy&pid=Nuclear%20Energy

Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnjzVNG18jo&feature=related

Chernobyl: in depth

Fukushima and Chernobyl compared

Category Fukushima Daiichi Chernobyl

SOURCE: NUCLEAR AND INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AGENCY, JAPANESE AUTHORITIES.

Date of accident 11 March 2011 26 April 1986

Accident details A magnitude-9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami damaged the plant's power systems, causing cooling systems to fail. A series of gas explosions followed

A sudden power output surge during a systems test caused a reactor vessel to rupture, leading to a series of blasts. An intense fire burned for 10 days

Severity rating Level 7 - major accident Level 7 - major accident

Number of reactors Six; but only three of concern, plus pools storing spent fuel

Four; but only one reactor involved

Type of reactors Boiling-water reactors. Japanese authorities stress that unlike at Chernobyl, the containment vessels at Fukushima remain intact. Also, unlike Chernobyl, the reactors at Fukushima do not have a combustible graphite core

Graphite-moderated boiling water reactor. The graphite made it highly combustible. The reactor also had no containment structure and nothing stopped the trajectory of radioactive materials into the air

Radiation released 370,000 terabecquerels* (as of 12 April) 5.2 million terabecquerels*

Area affected Officials say areas extending more than 60km (36 miles) to the north-west of the plant and about 40km to the south-southwest have seen radiation levels exceed annual limits

Contamination of an area as far as 500 km (300 miles) from the plant, according to the UN. But animals and plants were also affected much further away

Evacuation zone 20km; 20-30km voluntary zone. Five communities beyond the existing evacuation zone have also been evacuated

30km

Fukushima and Chernobyl compared

Category Fukushima Daiichi Chernobyl

People evacuated Tens of thousands The authorities evacuated, in 1986, about 115,000 people from areas surrounding the reactor and subsequently relocated, after 1986, about 220,000 people from Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine

Related deaths No deaths so far due to radiation A UN report places the total confirmed deaths from radiation at 64 as of 2008. Disputes continue about how many will eventually die

Long-term health damage Not yet known, but risks to human health are thought to be low

Among the residents of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, there had been up to the year 2005 more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer reported in children and adolescents who were exposed at the time of the accident, and more cases can be expected during the next decades

Current status Engineers have brought the plant to a "cold shutdown condition", a key milestone in bringing it under control. It will take decades to dismantle it completely however.

The damaged reactor is now encased in a concrete shell. A new containment structure is due to be completed by 2014

*BECQUERELS ARE A MEASUREMENT OF RADIATION

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13050228

Radiation and cancer Most experts agree even low doses of ionising radiation can increase

the risk of cancer - this risk becomes clear at doses above 100 millisieverts - but by a very small amount.

In general, the risk of cancer increases as the dose of radiation increases. Exposure to one sievert of radiation spread out over time is estimated to increase the lifetime risk of fatal cancer by around 5% on average.

The thyroid gland and bone marrow are particularly sensitive to ionising radiation, especially in children.

Leukaemia, a type of cancer that arises in the bone marrow, is the most sensitive radiation-induced cancer. Leukaemia may appear as early as a few years after radiation exposure.

Other cancers can also result from exposure to radiation, but may not develop for at least a decade. These include cancers of the lung, skin, thyroid, breast and stomach.

Health issues

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12722435

Hong Kong issues Black Travel Alert for Japan (Fukushima Prefecture)******************************************************In view of the explosion of a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (March 12) has issued a Black Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Fukushima Prefecture of Japan, while Red OTA is maintained for the rest of the country .  Hong Kong residents in Japan are urged to avoid all travel to Fukushima Prefecture, pay attention to the announcement of local government and take practicable measures to attend to their personal safety, the Government spokesman said. 

March 12, 2011

Travel Issues (economic impact)

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201103/12/P201103120213.htm

NEA advises that there is low risk of cross-contamination from passengers, flight crew, baggage or cargo from Japan.

Singaporeans returning from the evacuation zone who feel unwell are advised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to seek medical advice at the Emergency Department of their nearby Public Restructured Hospital (RH) upon return to Singapore for medical consultation. Those who did not come from the evacuation zone do not need any form of medical assessment nor do they need to seek prescriptions for potassium iodide (KI), said the MOH.

AsiaOneFri, Apr 01, 2011

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110401-271240.html

Fruits and vegetable import from Shizuoka suspended The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will extend its

suspension of import of fruits and vegetables from Shizuoka with immediate effect.

This is after radioactive contaminants were detected in a sample of Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach) imported from the Shizuoka prefecture.

PUB has also stepped up the daily monitoring of radioactivity level in Singapore's water supplies, including rain water in the catchments, with the radioactivity levels well within the safety levels stipulated in the World Health Organisation Drinking Water Guidelines.

NEA advises that there is low risk of cross-contamination from passengers, flight crew, baggage or cargo from Japan.

PUB has also stepped up the daily monitoring of radioactivity level in Singapore's water supplies, including rain water in the catchments, with the radioactivity levels well within the safety levels stipulated in the World Health Organisation Drinking Water Guidelines.

Food Issues (economic impact)

AsiaOneFri, Apr 01, 2011

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110401-271240.html

Tue, Nov 02, 2010

Singapore may get nuclear power plant

Mr Lee Hsien Loong said that several countries in South-east Asia have expressed their intention to build nuclear power plants - a challenge which will be faced even more by developing countries than developed ones.For Singapore, he raised concerns such as safety due to the country's small size, which stretches about 40km from east to west.He said: "It's very difficult to put it (a nuclear power plant) very far from population because nobody in Singapore is far from population."Yet we cannot afford to dismiss the option of nuclear energy altogether."As part of building up its capabilities, Singapore should keep up with new developments and learn from the experiences of other countries.The country should also get in touch with experts in the field of nuclear energy and train a few of its own experts in the field.When he called for questions from the floor, Mr Lee was asked if it would happen during his time in office.He replied: "I would say possibly during my lifetime."

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20101102-245235.html

Should Singapore go NUCLEAR?

Advantages

• Does not contribute to global warming

• Water is free, renewable• Relatively low

maintenance cost

Disadvantages

• High investment initial cost (Three Gorges Dam)

• Vulnerable to precipitation

• Reservoir:• Displacement of local

population• Soil fertility in the

lower course is compromised

• Migration of fish is affected

http://www.cna.ca/curriculum/cna_world_energy_res/hydro-eng.asp?bc=Hydroelectricity&pid=Hydroelectricity

Niagara Falls, Canada

http://www.georgiapower.com/lakes/inc/ghydro.htm Diagram

Hydroelectric Energy