3.3 - How can demand for energy be managed sustainably

3.3 - How can demand for energy be managed sustainably

1. India

   • Muppandal wind farms
     • Asia's largest turbine - can power 190,000 energy saving light bulb
     • 3500 wind turbines - 1600 megawatts - power 1 million homes
     • 1 turbine = US$1.5 million - very expensive
     • To overcome costs - 100% depreciation - energy costs nothing to companies that invest - do this instead of pay taxes
     • A country cannot supply all of its energy from one form - wind unpredictable in India
       • Solar plans - 20 megawatts by 2020
   • Current usage - 80% thermal, 2% nuclear, 16% hydro, 2% solar
   • Biogas
     • Cattle manure produces methane - can be burnt for cooking
       • Cleaner than wood stoves - very smokey + less deforestation
     • Relatively cheap to make + easy to build
       • Can be built and maintained by locals
     • Meets 57% of national demand
     • Reduces chronic diseases e.g. respiratory illnesses
     • Bi-product 'slurry' nutrient rich + can be returned to fields as short term fertiliser
       • Improved subsistence, increased food security and increased income
   • Demand expected to grow 4.6%

2. Three Gorges Dam, China

   • Opportunities created
     • Economic
       • Provides electricity to support rising demand
       • Provides 18,200 MW of HEP (20% of overall HEP)
       • Millions of jobs created
       • Improves navigation on Yangtze River
     • Flood Control
       • Reduces risk of flooding in lower Yangtze River
       • 660km long reservoir can store 100 yr flood event
       • Protects 15 million people +1.5 million ha of land
     • Sustainability and climate control
       • HEP is clean, renewable energy
       • Gain will be wiped out by China's investment into coal power stations
   • Problems
     • Resettlement of indigenous people
       • 1.2 - 1.9 million forcibly displaced during creation of reservoir
       • Govt promised cash compensation + new homes - not delivered
       • Fraud and corruption among local officials
       • Forced to live in poorer conditions
     • Environmental degradation
       • Reservoir water flow too slow to wash out pollutants
       • Declining water quality
         • habitat loss
     • Social + cultural
       • Flooding = loss of cultural, archaeological and historic sites
       • Destroy natural beauty of 3 Gorges - popular tourist site
     • Economic
       • Loss of 30,000 ha of productive farmland
       • No floods = no natural fertilisation = reliance on chemical fertilisers
       • Reduction in minerals at mouth = inshore fish catches fallen by 1 million tonnes/yr
       • Industrial activities (Coal + metal ore mines) lost from river banks from flooding

3. Carbon Trading

   • Set up 2007
   • Quotas on how much carbon countries can produce
   • Large carbon-producing companies given 'carbon credits'
     • If production reduced - they can sell credits to other companies = profit
   • If a company goes over quota - fined
   • Problem?
     • Lots of companies reduce - surplus of credits - lose value = less incentive to cut

4. Energy conservation

   • Earthship Brighton
     • Project aiming to create a model low carbon house
       • Off-grid, self sufficient 'green' buildings
         • Constructed using waste car tyres + other recyclables
       • Collect own water + use plants to treat sewage
       • Rain = Free water, wind = free power, sun = power + heat
   • Why?
     • Economic
       • Fuel costs
         • over £65 million/ yr in UK
     • Enivornmental
       • Pollutants (CO2 emissions)
     • Social
       • Jobs created
       • Easier + cheaper to run homes
       • Important for people with low incomes
     • Politcal
       • Energy security

5. Brazil biofuels

   • Runs many of their cars from ethanol produced by sugar cane
     • 20% less carbon emissions
   • Working network of petrol stations supplying biofuels
   • Land reforms
     • Govt gives landless farmers land for biofuel production
       • HOWEVER - Multinationals buy the land
         • Food production reduces
           • Brazilian production of rice + beans fall by 15% over last 20yrs
         • Peasant farmers unable to buy land
         • Employ few people - less benefits
   • Biodiesel nearly doubled

6. Jatropha

   • 1/4 of US maize crop will go to fuel
   • Requires 14 million ha of land
   • Disadvantages
     • Food prices rising due to refocus on biofuels
       • 10% rise in food price means poverty for people in India
     • Led to local farmers' crops replaced - now relying on food handouts
       • Increased food security
     • Reports of farmers being thrown off land
       • Arrested for uprooting jatropha crop
     • Move to biofuels = displacement of people, hunger, poverty, inability to grow food for themselves
     • MEDCs suffer much less than LEDCs - TNCs/ globalisation
       • Biofuels for rich countries mustn't come at the expense of food for poor countries
   • Advantages
     • 20% of diesel to come from these crops in 8yrs time
     • Provides an income
     • Can be grown on inhabitable land for normal crops
     • Can be grown on outskirts of other crops