It is not hard to realize that the “road to low emissions” is riddled with detours, forks, false road signs and dead ends … or in Barak Obama’s words, “ … setbacks and false starts …”. However, it seems that it will take innovation and adoption on two fronts, engineering and policy, for us to succeed in our endeavour to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In my readings, I find myself inundated with both incremental progress and major breakthroughs in clean energy designs and conservation. For example, the world’s largest working hydroelectric wave energy device called the Oyster has been officially launched in Scotland. The device, stationed at the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) Billia Croo site near Stromness, was installed this year and is, at present, the world’s only hydroelectric wave energy device, which is producing power.
Fast Tube by Casper
Also, the company Stratkraft, in Norway, continues to test the principle of harnessing osmosis to produce energy anywhere that salt water and fresh water meet. The prototype osmotic power plant has two separate chambers, one with fresh water and the other with seawater, divided by an artificial membrane. The pressure created by the salt molecules pulling the fresh water through the membrane, is then utilized in a power-generating turbine.
Fast Tube by Casper
However, where I see less changes and innovation is in the “Policy and Public Perception” arena. It is interesting to note that in most countries the “unlimited GDP growth” mindset seems to dominate all policy decision-making, despite the financial crisis we have had that most economies are sluggishly climbing out of. Somehow we all seem oblivious to the fact that all clean energy technological advancement can become limiting again if population growth and consumerism are allowed to go back to the pre-financial crisis levels.
Will governments rise up to the challenge of innovating new policies that will move us towards stable communities, living simply (i.e. less to spend due to higher prices imposed on luxury goods), confronting population growth and targeting job stability (as a function of age, gender, disability, health care and security benefits). No doubt, there are new ideas that are in the pipeline, new legislation being drafted, introduced, and debated on a global scale, such as the emissions trading scheme. However, progress is slow.
It seems there has never been a challenging time for our national leaders in our time like right now. We also need to show our support in our readiness to embrace change. If we resist change, the politicians will fail and technological advancement will plateau at some point. Policy and public perception will need to evolve in tandem with technological advancement in clean energy, if we are to succeed in lowering emissions. It sure is a long road to low emissions!
