Energy Future for Australia (5)

Energy Future for Australia: Conclusion

This is the final entry of this discussion. Let's conclude what we have been talked about!

First of all, what is our options for future energy development in Australia? Ideally, we can produce the entirety of our energy from renewable sources such as solar power and wind power. Research indicates that wind power could be a viable alternative to Australia's coal based power generation. And it can significantly reduce the overall environmental footprint of Australia as a whole. UK have successfully developed and applied wind power as a stable source of input, which further proved the viability of such method.

What't the situation now? In short term, we need to change the heavy oil reliant energy industry because Australian is facing serious oil shortage and have to rely on import for oil supply. One angle to investigate and resolve this issue is to start with improving our oil reliant transport. Numbers have shown the damage our vehicle transport did to Australian environment in forms of GHG emission. Our priority should be promoting alternative sustainable energy source for vehicle transport, such as hybrid cars.

The use of hybrid vehicle can significantly reduce GHG in public/private transport in Australia. Australians have already started to replace public transport vehicles with more sustainable hybrid model (NSW hybrid buses). It is a good start. But in order to secure a sustainable future, this practice needs to become a common sight not a exception.

Sustainable thinking, of course, is more than just driving hybrid cars and building wind turbines. But if we failed at accomplishing these most basic tools, then how can we move on to more advanced ideas and technologies? These ideas are merely a stepping stone for better, greater solutions, and I sincerely believe with the minds of many, living a sustainable life will no longer be a luxury.

Energy Future for Australia (4)

Energy Future for Australia: Hybrid fuel

How do we solve the emission problem of our transport? The answer could be as simple as: dring a hybrid. Using hybrid vehicles for public/private transport could prove to be very beneficial for sustainable development.

Hybrid technology is widely considered as a significant technique that can ensure the energy efficiency improvements for vehicle operations and diminish the extent of greenhouse emission. Hybrid vehicles are powered by two or more types of power, for example diesel and electric which could reduce the extent of greenhouse gases emission as an alternative resource of fossil fuels. By using hybrid-diesel  technologies for bus, the risk of rising energy input costs by the high average vehicle fuel consumption can be expected to be relieved. For example, during the trial of hybrid bus in New South Wales in March 2011, the report showed that the emission which related by the diesel motor could be relaxed by combination with hybrid technology, while fuel savings can be used as compensation for small fleet sizes and installation costs.

Reference:
http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/publications/hybrid-bus-trial-final-report.pdf
Image Credit:
http://greenliving4live.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/hybrid-cars-electric-vehicle-buying-guide_electric-vehicle-buying-guide_00-1.jpg

Energy Future for Australia (3)

Energy Future For Australia: Transport

Where did all that energy go? A large proportion of Australian energy were consumed to support the transport that needed for large cities such as Sydney.

According to the Public Transport Report of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) in 2012, the percentages of money of GDP spent in public transport projects by the Australian government have been increasing during the 10 years throughout 2000 to 2009 (pp. 4). These investments aimed to build an active public transport in order to face the circumstance of rapidly developing on the urban fringes due to increases in population in Australian large cities (ACF, 2012). Transport, as one of major emitters of greenhouse gases, is closely associated with the aforementioned dilemma of urban population increase. Thus it is the responsibility of government to consider the effects to the environment while providing sufficient public transport options to the low income families who living in the urban areas and remote suburbs of these areas (ibid). As one of the most car dependent countries in the world, Public transport can provide significant reductions in greenhouse gases emissions to Australian environment, and particularly when the renewable clean energy is used in this system, such as tram and diesel-electric hybrid driving buses (ibid).

Reference:

Australian Conservation Foundation (2012), Clean, green transport future, Available at: https://www.acfonline.org.au/be-informed/sustainable-living/clean-green-transport-future (accessed: 17, 6, 2016)Australian Conservation Foundation (2012), Australia’s Public Transport: Investment for A Clean Transport Future, Available at: https://www.acfonline.org.au/sites/default/files/resources/ACF_transport_funding_report_27-4-11_0.pdf (accessed: 17, 4, 2016).
Image Credit:
http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20140609020644badtraffic.jpg

Energy Future for Australia (2)

Energy Future For Australia: Oil

Why do Australia need to develop sustainable energy anyway? We have oil, right? In fact, no. 

Australia, as one of the world’s most car dependent nation, is actually facing the problem of oil shortages (ACF, 2012). By 2012, more than 50% of oil in Australia was imported, and it was estimated that in 2015 the figure could have risen to 70% (ACF, 2010). 

Australia is expected to become the second biggest gasoline importer in Asia-Pacific region by 2020 (Reuters, 2015). This circumstance could indicate that, by using sustainable energy techniques based on the natural resource in replacing traditional fossil fuels like coal and gas, the national expenses will be saved and help Australia out of the serious dependency of oil product (ACF, 2012). Solar power is one example of the using of the local natural resources in a sense of sustainable development. Solar power is a relatively new technique in Australia, which has been developed since 2010 (Australian Photovoltaic Institute, 2016) Currently, over a capacity of 5,000 MW of stalled photovoltaic (PV) facilities in 2016, and has contributed 15.3% of Australia’s clean energy generation, as well as produced 2.1% of the country’s total energy in 2014 (Australian Photovoltaic Institute, 2016; Clean Energy Council, 2016).

We have to face the fact that, oil is not gonna do it for Aussies, not in a long run. Relying on importing energy can be dangerous for a nation, especially for a developed country like Australia.

Reference:
Australian Conservation Foundation (2012), Clean, green transport future, Available at: https://www.acfonline.org.au/be-informed/sustainable-living/clean-green-transport-future (accessed: 17, 6, 2016)
Australian Conservation Foundation (2012), Australia’s Public Transport: Investment for A Clean Transport Future, Available at: https://www.acfonline.org.au/sites/default/files/resources/ACF_transport_funding_report_27-4-11_0.pdf (accessed: 17, 4, 2016).
Australian Clean Energy Council (2016), Available at: https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/technologies/solar-pv.html (accessed: 18, 3, 2016)
Australian Energy Market Operator Limited (AEMO) (2010), South Australian Supply and Demand Outlook, Available at: http://www.aemo.com.au/planning/0400-0013.pdf (accessed: 16, 4, 2016). p. 35.
Australian Photovoltaic Institute (2016), Available at: http://pv-map.apvi.org.au/analyses (accessed: 18,4 2016)
Reuters (2015), Australia;s 2015 oil product imports set to soar after aging refinery closures, Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/australia-oil-imports-idUSL3N0WY3QE20150413 (accessed: 17, 4, 2016).
Image Credit:
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1324194/images/o-DRIVERS-TRAFFIC-facebook.jpg

Energy Future for Australia (1)

Energy Future for Australia: Wind (1)

It is time to take things a bit more seriously, Let's talk energy!

This series of entry is dedicated to examine Australia's options for sustainable energy source. And this is the first one.: Wind energy.

Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy form around the world. For example, it has contributed an average annual rate of growth in installed electricity capacity of 35% in the Australia from 2006 to 2011 (IEA Wind Annual Report, 2011). 

Another example is that the wind energy has become the largest renewable generation source in the UK since 2007 to 2015 (Renewableuk, 2015). The energy is produced by Wind Turbines, there were 52 wind farms in Australia, with a total capacity of 3449.5 megawatts (MW) (Australian Energy Market Operator Limited, 2010; Parliament of Australia, 2010). 





It was promoted as the renewable energy with highly promised commercialise prospect and great function of reducing greenhouse gas emission, and it is arguably that the technology  is used broadly and gradually replace the important role of non-renewable energies, such as fossil fuel, in the future (Olah, 2005).

TBC.

Reference:

EA (2012), IEA Wind Annual Report 2011, Available at: http://www.ieawind.org/annual_reports_PDF/2011.html (accessed: 16, 4, 2016).
RenewableUK (2012),   UK Wind Energy Database (UKWED), Available at: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy/uk-wind-energy-database/index.cfm (accessed: 16, 4, 2016).
Parliament of Australia (2010), Operating wind farms by Commonwealth Electoral Divison, Available at: http://www.aemo.com.au/planning/0400-0013.pdf (accessed: 16, 4, 2016).
Olah G.A. (2005), Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Volume 44, Issue 18, April, 2005, p.p. 2636–2639.

image credit:

http://www.plainswindeis.anl.gov/images/photos/wind_450KW_turbine_IA_V_13764.jpg

Digital Media Greener than Print? Maybe Not?

Digital Media Greener than Print? Maybe Not?

The common understanding of digital media is that it is more sustainable than traditional paper print. And the biggest reason is that all digital media do not require to consume trees to produce, while paper media is entirely based on a tree-killing paper industry.

How ever, there has been an argument that digital media is actually very resource-consuming and not as sustainable as people think. Don Carli in his aticle introduce the term digital deforestation, It is the notion that the electricity that the massive servers consumed to keep records of digital data is in fact enormous and environmentally insustainable. In Australia, 73% of the overall power generation comes from coal power plant. 

As a result, electricity-based digital media can be associated with the carbon emission generated from coal industry. Also, the cellular networks and computers that digital media relies on also brings emission and deforestation to the environment.

The client-side devices we use to receive digital media and information can also bring negative impact to our environment. The life span of electronic devices shortens as the technologies evolves faster. The average life span of an average smartphone is 18 month and the used ones are rarely recycled. Comparing with traditional paper print, the resource it used is equally damaging if not so.

The exit of traditional paper print is almost certain due to the rise of digital media. However, when make the argument that digital media is more sustainable than its prodecessor, one have to consider that digital media also has to consume resource in order to exist. And maybe it is not as green as people would think.

Reference:

http://mediashift.org/2010/03/is-digital-media-worse-for-the-environment-than-print090/

https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/about-energy/energy-in-australia.html

Now We Are Cooking with Gas!

Now We Are Cooking with SUN!

There is a old catchphrase: Now we are cooking with Gas! I first heard it from a NBA commentator, to describe how furious the player dunk the ball into the basket. At the time, I was kind of confused. I understand the phrase as: gas cooking is good in comparision with cooking with electricity because it generates actual flame instead of a heat plate.

It turned out, I was utterly incorrect. This catchphrase originated from a old commercial promotion of gas oven in early 1900s. The companies introduced gas oven as a replacement for wood-burner and quickly spreaded across the western world. 

But nowadays, this old saying might need a change of phrase. Now we are cooking, with SUN!

There has been a wonderful invention called Solar oven. As the name indicates, this device using high reflective surfaces to focus solar energy into a certain surface for collection and use the heat to cook food, just as a regular oven does. The condition to use it is surprisingly not so restrictive, and it is perfect for sunny sydney summers.

According to consumer reviews, some of the good models actually functions better than regular electric ovens as they don't tend to burn or overcook food. And besides, it is so just fun to watch the sun to cook stuff for you.

Now we are cooking with solar!

Reference:

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooking.html

http://www.amazon.com/All-American-Sun-Ultimate-Appliance/dp/B00BW6TZ2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465043217&sr=8-1&keywords=global+sun+oven

Image Credits:

http://www.i-cooking.eu/en/366-kpgm-gas-hobs-overview-en
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PRZsyGKTL.jpg

Nuclear? New Clear.

Nuclear? New Clear.

Continuing with the nuclear discussion from last week, despite all the critism on Germany for shutting down their plants out of fear, the notion of replacing nuclear power with more sustainable alternatives is very much viable in a long term process. However, the road is long and getting the way of getting there can be troublesome.

Let's look at Japan. After the catastrophic event in Fukushima in 2011, Japan has increased its coal and natural gas consumption in order to fill in the energy gap created by the phasing out of nuclear power plants, which supplied 30% of total power generated in Japan. Because finding viable alternative power source can be time consuming, today's Japan still largely relies on nuclear power for its electricity generation. Until this day, nuclear generated power still make up over 20% of its total power production. Renewable energy sources such as solar panel, tide-powered energy, wind energy are still in the process of being realized, which can take a few decades.

Also, the islands of Japan itself almost hosts no significant fussil fuel deposits. It has to rely on import to get coals, natural gases and oil. This is one of the reasons for building so many nuclear plants in the first place. Giving up nuclear means Japan has to put its energy supply almost entirely in the hands of other nations such as Russia. The technological innovation in sustainable energy will be the long term solution but in short term, Japan is in a tough spot, for giving up nuclear power plants.

As for now, there is no perfect solution to world's energy problem. We are eventually buying time byburning fossil fuel and nuclear, for our scientists to realize sustainable energy technologies. It's not ideal, but it will have to do. That can conclude my personal feeling to nuclear power.

Reference:

http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/energy-japan-post-nuclear-future-sustainable

Edible Landscaping: Good Looking and Happy Eating!

Edible Landscaping: Good Looking and Happy Eating!

Landscaping in private homes is a wonderful thing. Not only adding characters to the neighbourhood, it also offers a perfect opportunity for families to get together and bond. Probably because the deep agricultural background, Asian families are usually very fond of the idea of growing some sort of vegetables in their backyard, even on the tiniest piece of soil.

What if I tell you, we can combine these two wonderful things and make something even more fantastic? Edible landscaping has caught up in recent years as an alternative to conventional household landscaping. It functions not only as a cosmetic project to look at, but also a viable secondary food source for average families.

In Susannah Shmurak's blog, she offers some very informative insights of how to do proper multi-layer landscaping which is both sustainable and edible. Her theory revolves around mixing different genres of edible plants to a comprehensive food forest: from over story tree layers to under planted shrubs, and eventually descend to vine-root based vegetables. Susannah's specific recipe is designed for the seasonal climates and biological diversities of one region, which may not be directly copied to Sydney environment. But despite the regional climate differences,  the idea of multi-layered household food production is definitely applicable in Australia suburban context.

Reference: 

http://learn.eartheasy.com/2016/05/edible-landscaping-101/

Image Credit:

http://learn.eartheasy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/edible-landscaping01.jpg

Get'em Shiny New Phones

Get'em Shiny New Phones

As a 90's kids, in the short period of 20 years that was my life, I very much witnessed the evolution of mobile phones from big, chunky plastic boxes to the smart, delicate piece of techinology that we are using today. The mobile phones we are using are getting much smarter, faster and cheaper. At the same time, the life duration of our hand-held companions is getting significantly shorter as we can not resist the sight of a shiny new model of iphone that can photography our faces 5% clearer.

As technologies advances, instead of getting more durable phones, we simply replace our phone faster then we ever before. Did you know? The average smartphone life span is 18 month in western world. And only 3% of total moblie phone users actually recycle their phone, out of the 3 billion phone owners around the world. As a result, only 1% of the mobile phones that were replaced every year are recycled.

The materials we used to make smartphones are rare and valuable, including heavy metal materials such as gold, silver, lead, mercury, copper and so on. Some of them can cause serious soil and water pollution if released into the environment irresponsibily. But, because the sheer value of the materials these phones contain, recycling them can be a very profitable business.


We can not rely on goodwill alone to drive people into recycling mobile phones. But financial gain can do exactly that. A electronics recycling business can take off with some supports in forms of policies from the government. Next time when I want to ditch my old phone, I might know exactly where I want to go.

Reference:
http://www.thesecretlifeofthings.com/#!phone-facts/c611
Image Credit:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/03/21/19/326F6EC400000578-3502440-The_rose_gold_iPhone_SE_is_pictured_in_the_foreground_at_the_eve-a-103_1458589317096.jpg