http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html

Just two days ago I had my first chance to experience Airbus’ new flagship, the A380 super jumbo on a flight from Miami, FL to Frankfurt, Germany.

The 9 hours on the giant double deck aircraft went by quickly. In terms of leg space, seating comfort, noise, and entertainment, the A380 is much better than any other aircraft I have been on. Due to the size of the plane, turbulences are rare. Despite the large number of passengers, roughly 550, the boarding was being completed faster than for the average B747. One of the features of the aircraft I liked the most was the ability to access three external cameras which record the flight from take-off to landing. Especially the first 10 minutes of the flight from the take-off from Miami International Airport were spectacular. Seeing the aircraft fly over the skyscrapers of the downtown area before passing the cruise port and the island of Miami Beach was a great experience.

The world’s two biggest aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, have different expectations regarding the future of commercial aviation. While Airbus designed it’s super jumbo to meet increased demand for efficient long-distance connections between major aviation hubs, Boeing’s new high tech aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, should enable airlines to offer more direct connections between smaller airports with a highly fuel-efficient aircraft. Both aircraft are responses to the major trends of increasing global air traffic and rising fuel prices. The A380 addresses the problem by allowing airlines to replace numerous smaller aircraft with one big aircraft on which they can load a lot of passengers to transport them from one continent to the other. The B787 is making use of new materials that reduce the weight of the aircraft and its fuel consumption. Airlines will be able to reduce the number of connecting flights by providing more direct flights from smaller airports, instead of Airbus’ hub to hub strategy. Ultimately both concepts could find use in the world’s different aviation markets.

Today I stumbled upon this article on CNN.com and it immediately caught my attention. The Spratly Islands, uninhabited and located between several Southeast Asian nations, is a group of islands in the South China Sea where geologists expect to find the largest oil reserves outside of Saudi Arabia. The problem that stems from that is the potential for conflict the discovery of oil would bear.

Alan Dupont, director at the Center for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney says, “We just came out of probably the most peaceful 25 years Asia has ever seen.”

China, chronically scarce of energy, is becoming more assertive in claiming exploitation rights for potential oil reserves, while the immediate neighbors of the islands, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, are also claiming parts of the islands.

The tense situation is about to change the dynamics of geopolitics significantly. China has tried hard over the past decade to establish and maintain good relationships with its Asian neighbors. Successfully, China was able to expand its influence over the region, while the U.S. had difficulties maintaining its naval hegemony. Now, smaller Southeast Asian nations seem to unite to counteract China’s influence in the disputed regions, which has benefits for the United States’ strategic relationships with countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

China is facing the tough choice between the country’s economic and political interests. On the one hand, access to energy reserves is a key priority of the government, while on the other hand, the Chinese try to avoid the “bad guy” image they are risking to get if they aggressively pursue their interests in the region and the prospect of a stronger U.S. presence in the South China Sea (CNN).

It will be interesting to see how the Spratly Islands issue develops over the coming years. From a peaceful, mutually respectful solution to a Cold War-style conflict between the regional powers, anything seems to be possible at this point. However, one thing stands out to me. If the assumptions that the area around the Spratlys holds significant oil reserves turned out to be false, the region and the environment would be saved from a lot of trouble.

Did Fukushima bring the period of increased acceptance of nuclear power as a clean and cheap energy source in the face of climate change and energy scarcity to a sudden end?

Possibly. However, there is a chance the incident in Japan might set off a new wave of construction of nuclear power plants. How?

As obvious to anyone who seriously dealt with the issue, the public has been made aware of the increased risk stemming from old nuclear plants. And without a doubt, pressure to shut down these old plants instead of prolonging their operating cycles - as has become a common practice in many countries - has increased. Still, it is important to consider why many nuclear power plants stay online longer than they were intended to at their time of construction.

Opposition to nuclear power plants has been strong ever since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. This made it more difficult for governments and power companies to get permission to build further nuclear plants without having to fight costly court battles for decades. Germany even moved as far as to gradually phase out nuclear power plants completely. A result of this development was the drop in planning for new reactors and the increased efforts to extend the operating cycles of existing ones, as having an old reactor run longer was less problematic for the public and politicians than building a new one.

Consequently, increased public opposition to nuclear power increased the risk by prolonging the lives of old reactors while avoiding or at least postponing their replacement with newer reactors with more advanced technology and increased safety. This is a perfect example of how uninformed public opinion is being addressed by populist politicians and corporations with negative implications for the overall well-being of the economy and environment.

Until March 11, 2011, this seemed to work out for everyone. The public did not have to fight too many new nuclear power projects, politicians could rely on the benefits of a zero emissions energy source and energy companies were making a profit off long written-off old reactors producing cheap electricity and selling it for higher market prices.

Some nuclear power opponents now hope that the accident will lead to a quick phasing out of existing plants and no plans for new reactors. In my opinion, this is unlikely to happen for a number of reasons.

Firstly, in a world with a growing global population, rising energy demand and high energy prices, it is unlikely that a lower share of nuclear power will find a lot of support in the long run. Consumers tend to favor the cheapest form of energy available, and as fossil fuel prices will increase due to scarcity and rising demand, nuclear power will seem the even more attractive alternative.

Secondly, as the world is watching carbon emissions closely due to their role in climate change, there can hardly be an energy policy that completely shuns a cheap, zero carbon dioxide emissions power source. The necessity of reducing carbon emissions at an affordable price will make nuclear one of the few feasible options.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an increase in the construction of new nuclear power plants in the medium term. Given that Tokyo Electric Power Corp. manages to achieve a cold shut down without drawing much more negative attention and the tangible consequences of the accident turn out to be more moderate than feared, there is an opportunity for politicians and energy companies to win the public’s approval for the construction of new, safer power plants by offering a quicker phase out of old reactors.

According to the New York Times, the public opinion of nuclear power in Japan is surprisingly good with more than half of the population willing to “retain” the existing level of nuclear power in the country.

If the public in Western countries can be convinced that new nuclear power plants replacing old reactors will actually reduce the risk of future radiation releases, a new era of nuclear power could begin.

Out of curiosity about foreign places, I was already very familiar with the countries recent history. Given this background, I was admiring how advanced and futuristic everything is, knowing that when Singapore gained its independence from Britain in 1965, it was a relatively small, developing world society that comprised several ethnic groups from different cultural, religious and language backgrounds. The only unifying factor was the fact that these people shared one tiny island which takes less than one hour to cross by car.

The person who had probably the largest influence on the new nation was Lee Kuan-Yew. He was leading the country from 1959 to 1990 (TIME) and comparing what he took charge of in a turbulent time in the late 1950s to what he left his well-prepared successors with is mind-boggling. Singapore in its early years was a tiny island, lacking resources, creditworthiness, infrastructure, education, international support, the ability to defend itself and a national sense of unity. It was Lee and his party, the People’s Action Party, that gradually fought off communists, criminals, pirates and colonists to build the foundation for a modern state: A very strict legal system was established, that strengthened the government’s control over society and gave Singapore the nickname “fine city”. Even today foreigners might be disturbed seeing signs warning people of what fines they will have to pay if they break any of the countless rules. These signs can be seen virtually everywhere and read like the following examples I encountered:

In the subways,  smoking a cigarette costs $1,000, eating or drinking results in a fine of $500. Bringing flammable goods costs $5,000,  jaywalkers get charged $500 (up to $2,000) and those who use a cell phone while driving a car have to pay $1,000. Drug traffickers are sentenced to death. A little less lethal but still extreme to many foreigners is the $500 fine for eating or possessing chewing gum without prescription (Singapore, the FINE City).

During my first days in Singapore, I was watching my behavior in public extremely carefully to avoid breaching any of the countless rules. Once I overheard a conversation between an American tourist and her travel mate: The lady said “This is not my city,” after having had to pay a fine for lighting a cigarette at the airport station. I got especially cautious when walking by at some of the many machines where fines can be paid electronically which can be found in most stations and government institutions.  As I explored Singapore and the lifestyle of its people, I realized that the enforcement of the rules has become a little more lenient over the years in an attempt to not scare away foreign tourists and investors. There is hardly any police presence visible in the streets. Only spectacularly designed advertisements on the subway windows seeking recruits for the Singapore Police Force gave me an idea of how a local police officer would look like: Neatly dressed in a dark blue, tight uniform with short black hair covered by a police cap. Nevertheless, surveillance cameras can be found virtually everywhere which sort of reminded me of the book “1984″ by George Orwell who anticipated a surveillance state. This impression is reinforced when seeing the Supreme Court Building in the city center which has the shape of a flying saucer towering over the government district with the ancient colonial palaces of the British.

While a number of Western visitors that I met during my stay expressed how uncomfortable they felt being constantly watched by “Big Brother”, it did not bother me too much and the trade-off between privacy in public and extremely successful crime prevention, cleanliness and convenience seemed to be worth it. Literally at all times of the night and day I was roaming up and down the avenues, elevated walkways, underpasses and intersections of the city, without having to fear for my safety.

Another priority of the first Singaporean governments was to build a world-class public infrastructure. The roads, public transport, electricity, waste water treatment, port, airport and law enforcement infrastructure are efficient, well-maintained and convenient. Schools and universities are amongst Asia’s best, recreational facilities are advanced and the tax system is highly transparent and attractive for businesses. As of 2010, Singapore was number one of the Transparency International Index for the least corruption. (Reuters)

One of the issues Singapore was confronted with in the early years was poverty, homelessness and crime. To counteract these hindrances to growth and stability, the government started a humongous public housing program. Even today, roughly 80% of Singaporeans live in high-rises built and subsidized by the government to provide accommodation for those in need and bring the cost of living down. (Clammer 40, 111) Within these public housing units, the government tried to maintain the same ethnic ratios as on the island-wide level to avoid the formation of “ghettos”(Clammer 40). Instead, Singapore’s northern territories comprise numerous “new towns” that seem like semi-urban communities, providing its residents all the amenities of urban living. Even the daily commute to work is not much of an issue since the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) subway network stretches out to the most remote settlements on the island.

Facing the challenge of forming a unified nation out of several ethnic groups, Singapore has embraced multiculturalism from the beginning (Neville 251). According to the CIA World Factbook, the vast majority (76.8%) of the population are ethnic Chinese, even though the cultural differences with mainland Chinese are significant. The second largest ethnic group with 13.9% of the population is Malaysian while Indians account for 7.9% (CIA) The remainder includes all nationalities, mostly Europeans, other Asians, Americans, Arabs and Africans. Next to the ethnic aspect of diversity, there is the language aspect. Singapore has four official languages (Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil) next to many dialects and other languages (CIA). Education is bilingual, with instruction in English and a requirement to study at least one of the other three official languages. Hence, almost all Singaporeans are able to speak at least one or two additional languages next to English. Higher education in Singapore has been taught in English since the early years of Singapore to give Singapore a “pro-Western identity.” (Sidhu) Amongst all the language diversity, locals, especially youths tend to communicate in a slang called “Singlish” which is a mixture of English and several phrases and syllables from Chinese and Malay. This makes everyday conversation harder to understand for outsiders, which could indeed be one of the benefits of the slang to some locals.

The third aspect of diversity is religion. As CIA statistics show, more than 40% of the population is Buddhist, around 15% are Muslim, Taoism accounts for 8.5%, Hinduism for 4%, Catholicism for 4.8%, other Christian religions for 9.8% and most of the remainder does not belong to any religion.

Considering these incredible challenges to forming a successful state and society, it is astounding to see how Lee Kuan-Yew left a prosperous, globalized and highly competitive economic powerhouse to his successors in 1990. (TIME) New York Times writer Nicholas D. Kristof describes how Lee, despite his authoritarian policies and views, voluntarily passed on power to the next generation of leadership within a democratic system where the ruling party’s success has created such strong support among the population that Lee’s party is still in power, regularly legitimized by voters, almost 50 years after its founding. Kristof elaborates by showing how this made Singapore a role model for the development of many Asian countries, combining values and traditions from the East and West.

In 1978, the then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore and fascinated by the success of a mostly Chinese society that thrives with a democratic, free market system, he started a far-reaching reform process in China that set the country on the pathway to becoming the economic superpower it is today (PAP).

The harmony within Singapore society is unparalleled. As a sense of competition and materialism is already instilled in Singaporean children at pre-school age, most of the population seeks to achieve Singapore’s infamous five Cs (Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condo, Country club)(Hussain).

Individual wealth and prestige is one of the most important concerns of Singaporeans and in my view part of the reason why pragmatism prevailed when it comes to celebrating selected religious holidays of each major group and maintaining traditions and diversity. Taking a look at the public holidays in Singapore, it stand out that next to state holidays such as Labor Day and National Day, the remaining public holidays are equally given to the various religious groups that make up Singapore’s society:  Vesak Day for Buddhists,  Hari Raya Puasa Adilfitri and  Hari Raya Haji for Muslims, Deepavali for Hindus, Good Friday  and of course Christmas for the Christian minority next to New Year’s Day and Chinese New Year were all created to allow religious and ethnic groups to celebrate their traditions (Ah, Eng Lai 2006). Since everybody gets a day off no matter what their religious view is and everybody gets to celebrate selected important dates like in the countries of their ancestors, Singapore has mastered the challenge of combining the traditions and demands of multiple religions while establishing dates for celebration of national achievement.

Food might be another reason why Singapore’s diversity is so tension-free. Most of the islanders have a great passion for food, and the multitude of cuisines from all over Asia and the world that formed a blend of uniquely Singaporean cuisine make the country a culinary paradise. One of my first meals after arriving in Singapore was one of the national dishes that is related to the cuisines of the surrounding cultures but is ultimately a Singaporean creation: Laksa. It is a coconut curry noodle soup with shrimp and tofu. Due to the locals’ preference for spicy meals, that Laksa was one of the hottest dishes I have ever tried. The same night, I was able to have an originally Indian curry in the outskirts of what today still is called China Town. One popular feature of Singapore’s culinary variety is the many hawkers, small food stalls, usually a number of them gathered in a roofed square, that offer affordable, local quality food to go. Even for the most cautious travelers it is safe to try the street food at the hawker centers as the same level of hygiene is practiced as in other parts of the city. A widely popular snack in Singapore is either toast, muffins or bread with Kaya which is a sweet, brown-greenish spread made of sugar, coconut milk and eggs. From what I experienced staying in Singapore and talking to locals I can only agree to the impression many visitors have: The cuisine is “central to Singapore’s national identity” as it is put on the website HalalInfo.com which is a blog on food in accordance with Muslim rules and customs. The country’s ethnic and religious diversity the multicultural melting pot of Asia is so famous for is represented by the large variety of food choices Singaporeans enjoy.

After about two weeks in the city state, I had a pretty good impression of its lifestyle which was not too different from other wealthy Asian societies such as Japan and Hong Kong, with the major difference being the diversity and the internationalism of the place. Singaporeans like to spend their past times flocking the malls, eating at the food courts, going to the movies and heading out to the beautiful beaches with man-made attractions on Sentosa  island and West Coast Park. Entertainment, light & sound effects turn these places into beach theme parks. When visitors come, they are often recommended to enjoy the view on the breathtaking skyline of mostly brand-new and futuristic skyscrapers with landmark buildings such as the Esplanade Theatres with its two huge domes and the traditional Raffles Hotel whose colonial charme can still be felt today. Named after the founder of Singapore as a British colony, Sir Stamford Raffles, the hotel has been prestigious ever since it was first opened in 1887 according to the Philippine newspaper Manila Bulletin.

Having traveled boom towns in China and having experienced what immense pride residents of places such as Shanghai and Hong Kong feel for their cities, Singaporeans are much more modest when talking to foreigners about their hood. One of my first friends from Singapore once asked me curiously about the reason for my excitement for one of the “smallest red dots on the map” and what was so special about all the fancy new buildings that have not been around for too long. Sharing my fascination for the accomplishments of the country and asking how Singapore has changed since their childhood, which must have been significant as most buildings that comprise Singapore’s skyline today are less than 10 or 15 years old, this question has puzzled most of the people I talked to. My impression was that many natives of Singapore are taking the city as they know it for granted without even thinking back to the by historical standards extremely short time period during which all the development took place. Looking into the future, my guess is that we can expect to see many more surprises coming out of this tiny, yet powerful Southeast Asian nation which proved to be brilliant at adapting to changing circumstances and taking advantage of new developments.

Sources

Ah, Lai Eng. (2006). Religious diversity in Singapore . Singapore: Institute of

Southeast Asian Studies. p. 33

AsiaTravel.com. Cuisine of Singapore. Halal Informations. April 11 2010. Sun Feb 21

2011.<http://www.halalinfo.com/halal-chinese/cuisine-of-singapore-by-

asiatravel-com>

CELDRAN, David. Southeast Asia’s Best Heritage Hotels. Manila Bulletin February 20, 2011.

Web. 21 Feb 2011. <http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/305308/southeast-asias- best

heritage-hotels>.

Clammer, John. Race and State in Independent Singapore 1965-1990. Brookfield, VT:

Ashgate, 1998. 40, 111. Print.

Fig. 1. Fines sign in Singapore MRT train. Personal Photograph by author.

Fig. 2. Singaporean Supreme Court Building. Personal Photograph by author.

Fine City: You will be fined in Singapore if you…. Singapore, the FINE City 03 May 2009.

Web. 17 Feb 2011. <http://singapore-the-fine-city.blogspot.com/2009/05/illegal

trafficking-import-or-export-of.html>.

Hussain, Zakir. SM Goh recasts the 5 Cs. Straits Times August 7 2010. Web. 17 Feb 2011.

<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_563439.html>

Kristof, Nicholas D. THE WORLD; China Sees Singapore As a Model for Progress. New

York Times 09 August 1992. Web. 17 Feb 2011.

<http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/09/weekinreview/the-world-china-sees-

singapore-as-a-model-for-progress.html>.

Lee Kuan Yew. TIME Web. 17 Feb 2011.

<http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/lee1.html>.

Neville, Warwick. EthniCity. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. 251-283. Print.

Sidhu, Ravinder. Emerging education hubs: the case of Singapore. Springer Sciene +

Business Media, 2010. 4, 14, 123. eBook.

Singapore. CIA World Factbook. Web. 17 Feb 2011.

<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html>.

Suzhou the spark in Sino-Singapore ties. People’s Action Party. Web. 17 Feb 2011.

<http://www.pap.org.sg/articleview.php?folder=PT&id=5323>.

When it comes to cutting back on your energy consumption, you probably aren’t as diligent as you should be.  You may neglect to turn off lights when you exit a room, or leave the computer running day and night because you don’t want the hassle of waiting for it to boot up every day.  And you might not even know that your choice of appliances, light bulbs, thermostat, and even water heater could make a huge difference in how much energy you’re sucking up each month (not to mention the absurd amount of money you’re shelling out to the utility providers).  But with just a few simple changes to the way your household is run, and maybe a couple of upgrades, you can really cut down on both your consumption and your monthly bills.  Here are some creative ways to go green and start saving.

• 1. Energy audit. How can you save energy if you don’t even know where it’s being wasted? Many people don’t realize that there are a lot of potential problem areas in the home when it comes to air loss (in other words, you could be letting the bought air out). Hire an auditor to come in and test your home for such leaks. You can find technicians through your utility company (they will either be on staff or the company can recommend an independent auditor). You could see a significant reduction in your energy use by correcting common problems like doors that don’t seal properly.
• 2. Set a timer. There are bound to be times when nobody’s home (kids are at school, you’re at work, you go on vacation, etc.). So why would you pay to heat or cool a space that isn’t in use? Instead, get a thermostat with a timer and set it to go off when you leave, and kick back on just before you get home (so you’re domicile is the right temp when you arrive).
• 3. Tankless water heater. Never heard of one? It’s not surprising, considering they’re relatively new. You may be wondering how your water gets heated without a tank, but the concept is not too hard to grasp. You’re water flows through a small apparatus containing a heating element, which kicks in on demand. What this means is that your water is only being heated when you turn on the tap (and not when you turn it off). This is an excellent energy-saving device, as opposed to regular water heaters which keep your water hot all the time (requiring ongoing expenditure of energy).
• 4. Unplug. Phantom drain is another problem that not too many people have heard of. When your electronics are plugged in but powered off, they still continue to siphon small amounts of electricity, which doesn’t sound too terrible until it starts adding up. Think about all the electronics you have plugged in around the clock (TV, computer, cell phone…even the clock) and you can begin to imagine how the pennies add up to dollars. So unplug items that aren’t in use (or put them all on one easy-to-unplug power strip).
• 5. Plant a tree for your tomorrow. By planting trees around your home, you could cut back on energy costs tomorrow. Tall trees can provide shade in the summer (allowing you to turn off the AC) and a wind-break in the winter (to keep cold winds from getting in around the cracks). Bonus: they provide clean, healthy air!

Leon Harris writes for Southern States, the quality name in high voltage switching. Whether you are in need of circuit switchers, power fuses, or other electrical power transmission and distribution needs, Southern States will tailor a custom solution for you.

Economically, the impact of the crisis could be huge. As the New York Times reported on Thursday, more than two million barrels of oil are being shipped through the Suez Canal every day which is approximately 4.5% of world oil production.

The Suez Canal which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea is traveled by 81 vessels per day on their way from Europe to Asia  or the other way around, according to the Suez Canal Authority. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and the Untied Arab Emirates is the only passage for tankers out of the oil-rich Persian Gulf through which roughly 40% of the world’s oil is shipped, and the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia is another vital shipping lane on which around 25% of seaborne oil shipping is carried out every day. These three strategically important waterways are crucial to the well-being of the world economy, as a disruption of shipping traffic would have terrible effects on global oil prices and oil supply.

Since the crisis in Egypt broke out, oil prices broke through the $100 a barrel ceiling for the first time since fall 2008 and are likely to stay high or even go up further. There are concerns that an escalation of the protests might prompt the military to shut down the operations of the Suez Canal if the security of ships passing can no longer be guaranteed. In this event, oil supplies to Europe through the canal would have to be rerouted around Africa which would drive up transportation costs and momentarily reduce oil supplies and bring up prices to a moderately higher level.

While an outbreak of violence across Egypt and a shut down of the Suez Canal would be a dramatic event and have far-reaching negative implications on other countries, it would not be the worst-case scenario. Far more dramatic would be a wave of unrest and destabilization across the entire Middle East which would disrupt oil production in a number of major oil-producing countries. The economic consequences would be catastrophic. Sudan, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and even Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen could be impacted by a revolution in Egypt. According to data from the CIA World Factbook, these countries produce round about 18,350,000 barrels of oil per day - which is more than 20 percent of the current 88 million barrels global daily oil production.

Hopefully, Egypt will manage to end the increasingly violent conflict soon and find its way back to being a source of stability for the Middle East as a whole. If the conflict spreads outside the country and destabilizes the region, the world economy is likely to be impacted negatively. A temporary blockade of the Suez Canal would not be as dramatic as a disruption of oil production in the entire region. Significantly higher oil prices over an extended period of time undermine economic growth and delay the world’s recovery from the financial crisis.

More on energy:

>>>> http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/new-energy-age-research-paper

 With the naming of CEO Andrew Liveris and DOW Chemical as the official sponsor of the Olympics for the next decade, it is clear that the USOC is backed p by the International Olympic Committee. By goig green and naming them as an Olympic sponsor the IOC President, Jacques Rogge believes the overall commitment to advancement, sustainability, and corporate responsibility parallels the Olympic Movement of peace, progress, and international collaboration.

Following the lead of the Beijing Olympics, Olympic partner Andrew Liveris and other USOC members are looking to do more. The summer Olympics made great efforts to showcase conservation practices and sustainable energy sources because while the sporting event is unifying and fascinating, it’s not the most eco-friendly event. These changes that the IOC is hoping to make as actually a huge deal. It has been estimated that over 2/3 of the carbon emissions from the event is a result of some of the 1.5+ million attendees traveling (mostly via airplane) to and from the event.

Exactly what environmentally friendly services did the Olympic facilities feature?

• Solar power - Used to light lawns, courtyards and streets at several venues, including the Olympic Village. A 130 KW photovoltaic system illuminated The National Stadium, where events such as athletics and football were held.
• Geothermal - Ground source heat pumps used the earth’s constant temperature to heat and cool much of the interior including athletic suites, media rooms and underground venues of the National Stadium.

•  Water Conservation- Waste water collected from the Qinghe sewage treatment plant was filtered and used for the various heating and cooling needs throughout the Olympics site, yielding a 60% savings in electricity. Rainwater was collected from around the grounds, collecting over 75,000 gallons by using water permeable bricks, pipes and wells installed on roofs, roads and green areas.
•  Natural Light - Remember the famous ‘Water Cube’ where the aquatic events were held? The walls of the National Aquatics Centre provided natural light, and for the interior of the building, specially designed ‘beam-pipes’ funneled sunlight into corridors, toilets and car parks at venues, including the Olympic Green.

•  Recycling - The 2008 Olympic hosts aimed for a 50 per cent recycling of waste including paper, metals and plastics at venues. A modest expectation, considering that a test run carried out during the 11th World Softball Championships held in 2007, achieved a nearly 90 per cent recycling rate.

 You can expect these products and more to appear at the coming events over the next decade. While the Olympics in 2008 had great new ways of filtration and insulation for the events, the IOC as is hoping to take that vision a step further to include dozens of other products which will help reduce waste and promote conservation.

Co-written by Nerissa Barry and Daniel Fielding

Despite the discouraging developments in Washington D.C. and the burden of high unemployment, it seems that 2011 could indeed be a year of stabilization. There is potential for strong growth, once U.S. companies, which are sitting on around $2 trillion in cash waiting to be invested (http://www.npr.org/2010/12/10/131955624/Business-News), see demand for their widgets grow and utilization rates of their facilities go up. However, it will take more than just a modest recovery to prompt companies to start spending.

On October 15th, 2010, I listened to Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman speaking to students and faculty at Florida International University in Miami. During his lecture titled “The Crisis: Year Three” he did not sound too optimistic about the state of the economy, given the counterproductive gridlock in D.C. The only hope he voiced was that a technological breakthrough that transforms the entire economy -  similar in scale to the IT revolution - would move companies to invest their cash reserves. This would jumpstart the economy as the increase of investment spending with the multiplier effect would increase GDP and household income, which would in turn lead to more consumer spending, which would again lead to more investment spending and hiring on the part of the companies, resulting in a significant reduction of unemployment.

The technological breakthrough will come, it is just a matter of time. This century will be known for the ET (Energy Technology) revolution as New York Times columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman coined the term. Major changes in the way we generate, distribute, store and consume energy are inevitable given global demographic trends. Growing populations and prosperity meet finite resources and climate change caused by the the extraction of millions of years’ worth of stored carbon.

First signs of this new energy era can already be seen. Last month GM started selling its semi-electric Chevrolet Volt, sometimes also called a “plug-in hybrid”. Even though just a few hundred Volts have been sold so far, the market debut in the U.S. could mark the beginning of the electric revolution in the auto industry. If GM manages to turn a profit on the Volt some day, it will only be a matter of a few years until technological progress and mass production bring affordable, powerful electric cars to the streets with competitive driving ranges.

If you like to read more about this topic, take a look at my research paper

NEW ENERGY AGE RESEARCH PAPER

or at my Related Posts:

Auto Industry in Transition

The Fundamental Transition of the Auto Industry

As I already mentioned in last week’s post  “the recent travel chaos in Europe and climate change“, unusually high amounts of snow in winter or below-average temperatures don’t contradict the climate change theory.

Earlier this year Republican Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma built Al Gore an Igloo, mocking that global warming could not be an issue to worry about in the face of a very snowy week in D.C.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4013671/senator-builds-al-gore-an-igloo/ 

According to The Telegraph, 2010 was one of the hottest three years on record. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8222843/2010-the-year-in-science.html)

Ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerating pace. Hence more moisture is available and comes either in the form of excess snow in winter or excess rainfall in summer. Global warming means that the global average temperature is increasing with extreme weather events becoming more frequents. Some areas, however, may indeed experience a fall in temperatures, increases in precipitation as opposed to rising temperatures and generally drier conditions.

A leader leads by example not by force.

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

- Sun Tzu

With Sun Tzu being one of the most famous, China has been blessed with numerous outstanding strategists in influential positions.

Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, was an ancient Chinese philosopher and strategist who lived several centuries BC. Many of his quotes are well-known and his wisdom undoubted. Several times in Chinese history, brilliant minds in important positions within government helped the country thrive.

The unprecedented economic miracle that took place in China in the past two to three decades was not a miracle in the first place. The enormous rise China has been going through was the result of a thought-through step-by-step approach to bringing China back on the global stage of economic superpowers.

After the experiment of Maoism terribly failed, China’s leaders examined the recipes for success tested out by Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Determined to grow GDP, breaking with their ideology, special economic zones such as Shenzhen (just north of Hong Kong) were established to try if more or less authoritarian forms of capitalism could actually work in Red China.

As the capitalist experiment quickly showed favorable results, new special economic zones popped up all along China’s coastal areas and a rapid industrialization set in which attracted foreign capital inflows. Since that moment, when China’s leadership realized that it could make capitalism work for it, the rest of the story was mainly about finding the right balance between opening up and maintaining control and stability.

Even though China’s route to wealth was not smooth and had ugly side effects, it is hard to belie the country’s great achievements such as lifting hundreds of millions of poor farmers and peasants out of poverty which is unprecedented in history.

It took a lot of pragmatism, intelligence, patience and foresight for a number of leadership generations to accompany the transition. Attracting foreign investors to build manufacturing sites as well as R&D centers within a country whose government has absolute power and a strong national agenda was difficult. Nevertheless, the country became the biggest manufacturing hub of the world and is trying hard to attract foreign as well as to develop its own high tech production and research facilities.

Despite all achievements and progress, the challenges China is facing are huge: Lethal pollution, an unsustainable population size given the demographic development and the critical rights the government has to grant citizens and foreigners in order to move ahead and leave the low-cost manufacturing and export model behind.

At the moment China is implementing the third phase of its development strategy. As the coastal areas have almost caught up with the West in terms of education, infrastructure and GDP, dozens of cities further inland are in the process of becoming new industrial and commercial centers for Asia and the world.

Does the city of Chongqing sound familiar to you?

When you are thinking of some of the world’s biggest cities, places like Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, New York and London might come to your mind. However, Chongqing beats all of these world cities in terms of population. It is in fact the largest metropolis on the planet - a boom-town by the Yangtze river. The Chinese sometimes refer to Chongqing as the Chicago on the Yangtze with the city’s recent face-lift in mind.  With an estimated population of more than 31 million and counting, Chongqing is already a success story where new riches are made every day and it has just started its way to global recognition and importance. The city’s mayor and regional Communist Party boss Bo Xilai is a political celebrity in China. His success in fighting corruption and organized crime seems to have put him on the path to a high-ranking position within the Communist Party’s inner circle. The Huffington Post recently named him “China’s Man of the Year” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/01/bo-xilai-chinas-man-of-th_n_480952.html).

Chongqing is only one example of the Chinese government’s “Go West” strategy aimed at developing regions in central China to maintain growth rates and provide employment for its growing work force as well as to stop the income gap between coastal China and central China to widen further.

In the coming years, we can expect to see some of the manufacturing move more inland while the coastal regions will see more high tech and research-centered endeavors as well as service industries move in.

One last aspect that needs to be mentioned when talking about China’s savvy strategists is the country’s efforts to move ahead in the field of alternative energy technologies. Electric cars and solar power are markets Chinese companies are targeting and might soon be ahead of Western competitors. Suntech Power, the world’s largest producer of photovoltaic modules and BYD Auto, a newcomer in the automobile business aiming to become one of the  world’s biggest car makers by leading the electric car revolution give us an idea what might be ahead.

If you are interested in learning more about the changing economic and political climate in China, I encourage you to take a look at the posts in my Category China page.

on China’s changing role in the world economy

China: A developed, green economy by 2050?

Berlin Tegel Airport, Europe snow chaos December 2010

Like tens of thousands of travellers across Europe, I got stuck at Berlin’s Tegel airport (TXL) for more than 10 hours on my way from Miami to Munich, Germany just a few days ago. Leaving Miami on a sunny day with temperatures well above 70 degrees, I arrived in Berlin about 9.5 hours later, hoping to make it to Munich within a little more than an hour. Instead of a quick transfer, I had to spend 9 hours more than expected in the terminal of Berlin’s major airport - which is expected to close in 2012 when Berlin’s brand new capital airport BBI (Berlin Brandenburg International) is scheduled to open. At the beginning, the atmosphere was rather relaxed with few people crowding the 1960s style terminal and cabs waiting outside in the snow for passengers headed to downtown.

However, as I was waiting in the departure area seeing dozens of domestic flights being cancelled as the snow kept falling, the once close-to-empty departure lounge filled with passengers and frustration spread quickly. Except for the operators of delis and kiosks, few people seemed to be in a good mood anymore. As many hours passed without a departing flight and the sun set, there was barely any space left for people to stand and except for one representative of the airport’s staff who couldn’t help anyone and asked passengers to check the airlines’ websites for information on flights, frustration and rumors spread. My only source of information was a relative who updated me on what it said on my airline’s website and I had to stay in my place since I didn’t want to loose my seat while the departure date of my flight was pushed back numerous times from 10.15am to 9pm.

After 10 hours of waiting I was among the lucky few of the waiting passengers that got a seat on the last flight allowed to leave Berlin that night. I shook my head in disbelief when I had to hear the captain’s excuse for another delay of our departure: Apparently there was only one baggage handler set aside for our aircraft even though only a hand full of flights departed from TXL instead on the usual 400 or so aircraft arriving and departing. The low number of flights departing that day ensured that we quickly went through deicing and were ready to take off, despite the chronically scarce deicing chemicals.

When I made it to Munich that same day shortly before midnight, I was happy that I finally reached my destination even though my luggage didn’t make it to there, given all the chaos in European air travel I learned about reading a left-behind newspaper while standing in the baggage tracing line.

Altogether I can consider myself lucky. A friend of mine got stuck in Frankfurt for 20+ hours. Any traveler going through London Heathrow inevitably had to change their travel plans as the airport closed down completely due to a mere 4 inches of snow. The airports in the Paris metropolitan area also had to cancel most flights scheduled to depart. Train service in most of northern and central Europe was disrupted as well. In Berlin, rental car companies were unable to satisfy demand since a newly passed law required cars to have snow tires given wintery weather conditions and the number of snow tires stored was quickly depleted. Also, driving conditions were poor. Icy roads led to countless accidents, long traffic jams formed on several highways. In some parts of Germany, classes were cancelled.

What is unusual about the current situation is that primarily areas that normally don’t get a lot of snow, at least not during this time of the year, were affected severely and obviously were not prepared to deal with snow. In other areas where snow is usually more abundant, travel was less affected and snow levels were lower than on average.

What could be an explanation for these weather anomalies?

In the face of an uncommon amount of snow or much colder than usual temperatures, I hear people joke about how much they wish global warming was actually happening so they wouldn’t have to clear the sidewalk in front of their house from all the snow. It is in these situations when we need to remember that “global warming” is actually a bad term to describe what is happening to our climate as a result of the unprecedented increase in the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Rather than increasing temperatures in general, we will see changes and anomalies that will change average temperatures, precipitation, the frequency of extreme weather events, etc. Some places might experience a decrease in average temperatures and rainfall while others will face more frequent droughts and hotter summers. While global average temperatures are generally increasing which causes catastrophic effects in coastal areas around the world in the long run, local impacts of climate change can vary widely and also could benefit certain areas.

This winter’s travel chaos in northern central Europe is most likely an indicator of a changing climate and how it changes weather patterns. Since my childhood, I witnessed how the amount of snow in southern Germany gradually decreased and how winter shifted from December through March to January through April. While when I was younger, lots of snow for at least three months was common, nowadays periods of above-average temperatures and a lack of snow occur frequently. This causes frequent difficulties for nearby winter sport resorts. On the other hand, relatives of mine who live on the shore of the Baltic sea experienced white Christmas in recent years which they had not seen in decades.

If you are interested in learning more about my research about climate change, energy politics and alternative energy technologies, take a look at my research paper research-paper_new-energy-age-staedtler-2010

Economic progress and energy consumption are proportional. Therefore it comes as no surprise that the United States, the European Union, Japan and the rapidly developing coastal regions in East Asia are having some of the highest energy consumption rates in the world. As long as only a tiny fraction of the earth’s population enjoyed a high living standard, the visible downsides were negligible. But today, a significantly larger portion of the world’s rapidly growing population is enjoying a high and energy intensive living standard and their number is growing quickly. At the same time, the world’s reserves of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are gradually becoming depleted. And in addition, the negative implications of conventional energy generation for the environment are becoming more and more obvious.

The mega-trends of population growth, global industrialization and urbanization are intensifying climate change, resource scarcity and pollution. Unless a more sustainable foundation for economic growth can be found, the deterioration of these problems can undermine the basis of our prosperity.

Therefore, significant changes need to be made to the way we generate energy to make it more sustainable. This means increasingly tapping energy sources that are less harmful to the environment and not as scarce as many fossil fuels. But this diversification and enhancement of our energy mix takes a lot of time and money.

Hence, it is necessary to address the problem from the consumption side as well. Key to a quick, effective and feasible solution is to decouple economic growth and energy consumption. In other words, we have to seek ways to increase our prosperity while reducing our consumption of energy. Those two goals long thought to be in opposition can become complementary.

If there’s a tendency of growing energy demand, one can respond to it in two different ways:

1.) Building more power plants to increase the supply of energy. This approach ties up financial and natural resources alike.

2.) Making energy consumption more efficient to reduce demand for energy. These efficiency gains can soak up rising energy demand elsewhere without the need to build additional power plants.

Obviously, the second approach is smarter and more sustainable. By squeezing more out of every kilowatt-hour of electricity or gallon of gas, you eliminate waste. Eliminating waste benefits the society and the environment.

Buildings account for 40% of the total energy consumption and 70% of the total electricity consumption in the United States. The potential for savings is enormous. Thus, a “green” building can be significantly cheaper to operate than a conventional building.

Especially for businesses with large production facilities, energy is a major cost factor. Optimizations to the production process as well as to the lighting, water circulation and air-conditioning systems can trim a factory’s energy consumption. The resulting cost savings can quickly recover the initial costs of the energy conservation equipment.

When building a new factory, a design aimed at energy efficiency can bring down expenses for water and electricity even further. An optimal design reduces the need for artificial light by using natural light as well as occupancy sensors. Better insulation and facades that reflect a large share of the sunlight reduces heat absorption. In combination with measures to improve the air circulation within the building, less cooling in summer and less heating in winter  is necessary. Over the life of the facility, the achieved savings can match or exceed the initial construction costs. Another benefit is the lowered carbon footprint. Lower energy consumption translates into lower energy bills and lower carbon emissions. Consequently, a green factory is not only a question of environmental responsibility. From an economic point of view, green buildings are the best response to rising and volatile energy prices.

Private homes can take advantage of modern energy conservation technology as well.  By monitoring electricity consumption throughout the house to detect sources of energy waste, a household could cut its monthly energy bill when replacing inefficient home appliances and adjusting the thermostat to avoid unnecessary cooling and heating. As the construction of a smarter electricity grid advances, appliances can be timed to take advantage of cheaper electricity rates during off-peak hours.

Since energy prices are bound to increase in the medium and long term, the savings achievable through energy conservation efforts will increase and hence, demand for those technologies will help to support a domestic energy technology industry.

The global market for energy saving technology is enormous. China, a country struggling to meet its energy needs, is going to invest heavily into energy conservation technology for buildings. A massive immigration into the urban centers of the country is under way and the infrastructure, buildings and factories built today determine the energy consumption of the future. Instead of further increasing its reliance on foreign suppliers of fossil fuels, China will use every opportunity to reduce energy waste.