Student: Daphne Yuen
Graduation date: May 2017
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved: November 2014
Go to concentration landing page
Summary
For my Environmental Studies Concentration I would like to focus in on renewable energy and the attitudes and actions developing countries have towards renewable energy. When I talk about renewable energy technology, RETs, I am accounting for several types; this includes wind, solar, geothermal, small scale-hydro and biomass (Martinot et. al 2002). When I talk about developing countries, I am loosely referring to the data that the World Bank uses to classify developing countries (2014), as I’m also factoring in social and political aspects of a developing country because not all developing countries are homogenous. I will refer to rural parts of developing countries, rather than large industrial and metropolitan regions. The potential for renewable energy is substantial, as countries such as Denmark have shown improvement in energy consumption that has reduced their reliability on fossil fuels and natural gases (Lund 2007). According to Long and Hernandez, if the world continues to use fossil fuels at its current rate, CO2 emissions and energy consumption will increase by over half, around 55%, by 2030 (2012). Therefore, renewable energy shows promise for the future of energy (Painuly 2000). In fact, renewable energy currently makes up somewhere between 15-20% of the world’s energy demand (Painuly 2000). There are several categories of renewable energy and technology as well as sub-categories for each, however, all forms of renewable energy are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some of these technologies will thrive in some areas better than others (Martinot et. al. 2002). For example, small-scale hydropower will benefit more in developing countries than wind (Martinot et. al. 2002). Thus developed countries serve as models and demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy for developing countries such as China.
According to the World Bank, China is economically classified as a developed country with an economic standing of upper middle income (2014), however, much of China’s landscape remains undeveloped and rural (Long and Hernandez 2012). In China, about 70 million people lack sufficient access to energy (Zhou and Byrne 2002). Thus the ability for China to tap into RETs is quite promising, as renewable energy such as wind can generate eight times more energy than current rates (Lund 2007). One aspect of renewable energy is rural electrification, an essential element to aid the growing need for electricity access for rural regions of China. Rural provinces like Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Xinjiang, in China have the potential for RETs in both wind and hybrid systems; hybrid systems are a combination of alternative energies (Zhou and Byrne 2002). RETs also show the potential to lower energy dependence and CO2 emissions (Martinot et. al 2002). Therefore by delving further into the benefits of renewable energy, developing countries can use their resources to their advantage to help reduce reliability on fossil fuels (Zhou and Byrne 2002). However, RETs still face many obstacles and barriers before developing countries can make the transition.
RETs currently face several barriers within market, technical, social, institutional, political and regulatory sectors (Painuly 2000). Therefore, it is important to emphasize the need for stronger government policies and a general consensus to tap into the larger realm of renewable energy (El-Ashry 2012). The promise and potential of renewable energy is strong, as 119 countries currently enforce some form of renewable energy standard (Long and Hernandez 2012). Though there are still many uncertainties pertaining to the cost-effectiveness, the environmental impacts and affordability of RETs in developing countries, RETs show a huge promise in being a lead competitor against current use rates of fossil fuels and natural gases (Painuly 2000).
References
Bank, World. 2014. “Economy and Growth.” The World Bank Working for a World Free of Poverty. January 1, 2014. Accessed November 12, 2014. http://data.worldbank.org/topic/economy-and-growth.
El-Ashry, Mohamed T. 2012. “National Policies to Promote Renewable Energy.” Daedalus 141 (2): 105–10.
Long, Wei, and Jose Antonio Hernandez. 2012. “Transition to Renewable Energy on Developing Countries: Promoting Energy Policy and Innovation.”
Lund, Henrik. 2007. “Renewable Energy Strategies for Sustainable Development.” Energy, 912-17.
Martinot, Eric, Akanksha Chaurey, Debra Lew, Jose Roberto Moreira, and Njeri Wamukonya. 2002. “Renewable Energy Markets In Developing Countries*.” Annual Review of Energy and the Environment: 309-48.
Painuly, J.P. 2000. “Barriers to Renewable Energy Penetration; a Framework for Analysis.” Renewable Energy: 73-89.
Zhou, Aiming, and John Byrne. 2002. “Renewable Energy for Rural Sustainability: Lessons From China.”Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 2002, 123-31.
Questions
- Descriptive: What are types of renewable energy? What are current attitudes surrounding renewable energy in economically developing countries? What are the living/geographical conditions of developing countries compared/contrasted to those of developed countries?
- Explanatory: Why are there obstacles and barriers to implementing renewable energy in developing countries? Why are the encouragements to tap into renewable energy sources? Why do developed and developing countries find renewable energy sources to be one of the main solutions to energy issues?
- Evaluative: Why is it important to look at renewable energy? What are the benefits that economically developing countries gain from converting to renewable energy? What are some downfalls or problems developing countries run into when transitioning into renewable energy as a resource? Do developing countries possess the infrastructure, let alone, ability to pursue renewable energy?
- Instrumental: What are ways in which renewable energy can be more widely accepted in countries that are using natural gases as a form of energy?
Concentration courses
- PHYS 141 (Introductory General Physics 1, 5 credits) Fall Semester 2015 – This course will help build a strong foundation for understanding basic concepts of motion and energy that are relevant in understanding and applying them to renewable energy.
- PHYS 142 (Introductory General Physics 2, 5 credits) Spring 2016: Much like PHYS 141, this course will continue to build on the fundamentals of physics, with a focus on electrical circuits, nuclear physics and electromagnetism, just some of the aspects very relevant and important to renewable energy.
- PHYS 201 (Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences, 4 credits) Spring 2015 – Physics 201 allows me to have a hands on experience in building an electrical instrument as well as gaining a more in-depth understanding of converting natural resources into a form of renewable energy.
- SoAn 265 (Critical Perspectives in Development, 4 credits) Spring 2016 - This course will help me to explore the discourses, critiques and perspectives surrounding development.
- HIST 298-F1 (History of Nuclear the Nuclear Age, 4 credits) Spring 2015 – This course will allow me to look into the background as well as the political factors that have helped shape this form of energy.
- IA 238 (Political Economy of Development, 4 credits) Spring 2016 - This course emphasizes the dichotomy between rich and poor countries, as it discusses the complexities surrounding politics and government when debating implementation of various policies such as renewable energy.
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- PHIL 215 (Philosophy and the Environment, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- HIST 235 (History of the Pacific Northwest, 4 credits.) This course delves into the history of how the Pacific Northwest was formed from Native American culture to the settlement of European Americans and how this past history has shaped and influenced current environmental practices.