This assignment is directly for class, but if you're interested, go ahead and read my summaries of them. I included the link to the US one just below.
USA Energy Policy
President Obama's Climate Action Plan http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf
Oil & Gas stats from the Obama Administration
The President’s climate action plan has three pillars:
·
Cut Carbon Pollution in America
·
Prepare the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change
·
Lead International Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change and Prepare
for its Impacts
Because
the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are tied to energy use and
production, a large part of the President’s climate action plan involves changes in energy
policy geared towards reducing GHG emissions.
1)
Because power plants contribute to 1/3 of domestic carbon dioxide
emissions, the administration has asked the EPA to look into setting federal
limits on how much carbon a power plant can emit. State and local limits exist
in some places, but federal limits would provide an across-the-board regulation
on emissions of new and existing power plants. Internationally, the U.S.
invests in clean energy in developing nations by only supporting the highest
standard of coal energy or clean renewables.
2) As
An Inconvenient Truth pointed out, the U.S. is behind most countries in fuel
economy standards. The Obama administration is increasing the minimum
automobile fuel economy in order to attack the emissions from domestic
transportation. By 2025, automobile manufacturers will be required to produce
vehicles that can attain 54.5 mpg.
3) Better Buildings is a major initiative supported by the White House which encourages businesses and residences, both public and private, to invest in more efficient housing materials and technologies. The U.S. also invests in modernizing the electrical grid for efficiency, and has made a commitment to double the amount of electricity produced by renewable energy from 2012 to 2020 (this amounts to providing another 10GW, which is enough power to supply 4.4 million homes.
Additional
Notes:
·
$8B Loan on research for reduction, avoidance, and sequestration of GHG.
·
Partnerships with
battery and fuel-cell companies
·
$250M towards
loans and grants for efficient, renewable systems and financing of upfront
costs
·
$23M towards
looking at new methods to provide cost-effective residential energy
·
Phasing out HFCs,
esp. in vehicle AC systems
·
Trying to find
ways to reduce methane emissions from coal mines and agriculture
·
Nonspecific
forest protection
·
Making gov’t
buildings use 20% renewable energy by 2020, as efficiently as possible
·
International
agreements so we’re not the only ones making changes
·
Ending $500B/yr
in subsidizing activities that encourage fossil fuel consumption
·
Global free trade of clean energy
Natural gas
·
Half as carbon-intensive,
Heavy duty vehicles, create worldwide market
Nuclear power
·
Promote safe use
Clean coal
·
Promote
development of clean coal technologies internationally
Energy efficiency
·
Clean Energy
Ministrial
Brazil Energy Policy
This article provided background information on the current energy
production scene in Brazil, and provided 12 policy suggestions based on
maximizing key national objectives.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421503001228 (article requires access)
Related wikipedia articles:
11) One policy suggestion
was to increase the efficiency requirements for household appliances and
devices. By doing so, it allows for economies of scale to be reached, so it’s
cheaper to produce efficient items that it otherwise would be. Providing
incentives to utilities companies that design systems to be more energy
efficient is a related measure that allows for modifications more significant
than simple appliance gains. The largest project would be adopting energy codes
for buildings, depending on zone and purpose. This would have large gains, but
would require a large amount of effort in training and implementation.
22) A primary focus of
energy policy is changing the relative contributions of the sources of energy used.
For instance, this set of proposal recommends the increase in a method of
natural gas energy production called cogeneration, which utilizes both the
electricity and heat produced by the combustion process to reduce wasted
energy, as opposed to the baseline increase in oil combustion. It also suggests
mandating combined cycle natural gas plants, which are more efficient that
single cycle natural gas plants, though they are more expensive. The adoption
of more grid-connected wind power and off-grid photovoltaic power is also
strongly recommended, the latter of which is uniquely suited to provide
electricity to rural Brazilians who may not get electricity otherwise.
33) Lastly, sugar cane
production in Brazil is praised and recommended to be continued to make up for
less energy being produced by wood and charcoal biomasses. Bagasse, a
by-product of the sugar cane ethanol production process, should be used in a
more efficient and scaled-up manor, because it has a high potential for energy
contribution. Regulating the CO2 output of passenger vehicles will cause a
shift towards more ethanol-powered passenger vehicles also.
Discussion Questions
What policies are in
place for each country for fuel sources (oil, natural gas, ethanol, biomass)?
What changes do they propose for fuel sources?
A. The U.S. is rapidly
expanding the use of natural gas as an energy source, due to the fact that it
produces only about half as much CO2 as does coal. The U.S. possesses large
supplies of natural gas stored underground in shales, so this also helps
balance our energy trade imbalance. The U.S. is also highly invested in “Clean
Coal” technologies, which sound paradoxical, but actually consist of methods to
reduce the CO2 emissions of coal, while continuing to use it as an energy
source. The U.S. is also open to nuclear energy, however it must meet strict
safety standards
B. In fact, Brazil is
actively engaging in building more fossil fuel power plants, because of the
feeling that their energy supply is too dependent on the weather. This feeling
was largely due to a power shortage in 2001 brought on by a severe drought.
This energy proposal accepted Brazil’s desire for more reliable energy
production, and its recently discovered supply of natural gas. It encouraged
Brazil to make good choices in this area though, by incorporating cogeneration
of electrical and thermal energy in natural gas production, and by regulating highly
used plants to be combined cycle as opposed to single cycle.
What policies are in
place for renewable energy sources? What
changes in policies do they propose for renewables?
A. The U.S. seeks to
increase their production of electricity from renewable sources. During Obama’s
first term, the amount of energy production from renewables doubled, and his
goal is to double it again by 2020. This includes the availability of loans and
grants to companies who research and develop cleaner, more efficient energy
production methods, or ways to conserve energy. As far as inventing new
renewable sources, the U.S. funds research projects at universities across the
country investigating sources like algae and other bio-based or synthetic
fuels.
B. Brazil has already
developed major renewable energy sources. For instance, 90% of its electricity
generation (and 40% of overall energy usage) comes from hydroelectric power
from state-owned plants located along the country’s vast river system. Brazil
is also developing an expansive system of wind turbines which will compare to
those in place in Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. This will add power to
their electrical grid and help maintain the proportion of renewables in Brazil,
even as new fossil fuels plants are added. For off grid rural areas, the
authors suggest the use of photovoltaic energy as a means to provide electrical
energy to some that would not otherwise have access.
What do they say the
current impact these policies have on the environment, society and economy?
A. The current policies
in the U.S. have a negative impact on the environment, because carbon dioxide
emissions are still high, and are contributing to global warming. The policies
have been good for the economy and society, however, as industrialization over
the last two hundred years has allowed the country incredible advances in
wealth and quality of life. However, if changes are not made, the environment
impact will affect society in more negative ways.
B. The current policies
in Brazil are also contributing to GHG emissions, though less than the U.S.
Their large proportion of renewable energy has been relatively beneficial for
the environment, but has had some negative impacts on society in the form of blackouts.
What do they suggest
will be impacted or improved with these new energy policies on the environment,
society and economy?
A. New policies in the
U.S. will strive to lower carbon dioxide emissions in a way that does not
cripple the economy, or cause detriment to society. Regulations will edge us in
directions that encourage less energy consumption, or energy production that is
less environmentally harmful.
B. Policy in Brazil will
seek to maintain its relatively high proportion of renewables, while reducing
its energy imports. It seeks to provide energy to rural areas through
photovoltaic energy, and to increase energy efficiency through higher appliance
standards and through the adoption of building codes.
Next post will be about the video we watched today!
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