Zero Carbon Futures in Renewables?

Following an article by George Monbiot in today’s Guardian, two reports have been highlighted that propose a future free of fossil fuels. NOTE: Both of these reports are from external websites and are of significant size. Ensure that your data plan allows you to download files of this size or find a suitable wi-fi connection to do the same.

From the World Wildlife Fund for Nature:

http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/2011_02_02_the_energy_report_full.pdf

From the Zero Carbon Trust:

http://www.zerocarbonbritain.com/index.php/zcbreportmenu/category/1?download=1%3A2030

What both of these reports identify, is the need to look beyond the current thinking of fossil fuels and to source alternative energy solutions.

It is noticeable that the ultimate aim is to provide energy from wholly renewable sources. In countries such as the UK, this may challenge the traditional usage of the land for manufacturing materials and food. A balance will have to be struck, and the irony maybe that high-density, rich countries may lose out due to this conundrum.

Rich, low-population-density countries such as Germany have already proven that it is possible to generate the majority of power from renewable sources but this may not be possible everywhere.

I urge you to read all three articles and reports, even if your instinctive mindset opposes it. There is nothing better than trying to understand the other side of the argument, particularly in issues with such significance as this one.

A Zero-Carbon City

In Abu Dhabi engineers are building the world’s first zero-carbon city. The aim is to prove that in the middle of the desert it is possible to create a city that is totally self-sufficient, but that also does not ‘cost’ the planet anything as well.

Called Masdar City, there is a wind tower in centre that tells the citizens how much energy is being consumed. This will become more important as the development grows and becomes a beacon of what is possible in the field of energy renewables. Other technological attractions that Masdar has are a fleet of driverless electric vehicles that ferry people from the entrance of the city, to the Masdar Institute (itself an offshoot of the Massachussetts Institute of Technology – MIT).

Masdar City is also powered by a solar thermal power plant that provides the city with solar energy into the electricity grid.

It is also attracting attention from major politicians. Before he was replaced, George W Bush made a visit in 2009, along with his Secretary of State Dr Condolezza Rice. Recent visitors include Hillary Clinton and the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon.

Only Phase 1 of Masdar City is finished, and the provisional timetable includes plans for 7000 residents and 12000 workers within 4 years. It is an ambitious timescale for an ambitious project to show the world how renewables are becoming more and more important.

This article has been derived from a photo gallery first published in the UK Guardian newspaper – http://goo.gl/rnnNw