Others
Valerie Choy, Catrina Yeo, Our Energy Future Demands Action Today, 10 May 2010
Imagine flicking on a light switch and the light does not come on. No gas emits from the gas stove when it is switched on. Transportation systems come to a halt as fuel supplies are restricted. |
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Elspeth THOMSON, “India and the Nuclear Suppliers Group”, 31 September 2009
India is now the only country that can trade in nuclear materials without being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. The Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver allows India to buy uranium for its existing reactors, as well as technologies to reprocess spent fuel and help reduce radioactive waste. The NSG waiver was a prerequisite for a proposed nuclear trade agreement between the US and India. In October 2008, an agreement was reached which completely lifted a three-decade moratorium on American nuclear trade with India. President Obama re-affirmed American commitment to this agreement in November 2009. |
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WONG Yuk Sum, "Development of Renewable Energy in Singapore", 30 September 2009
Singapore is a diamond-shaped island with several surrounding smaller islets. It has a relatively flat coastline with a land area of 710 km². Situated south of the Straits of Malacca on a major shipping route, the city-state is well-located for the energy industry with regard to international oil refining and trading.Singapore does not have any hydro or geothermal energy resources but is aiming to incubate renewable energy. Much of the maritime territory is used for ports, anchorage and shipping lanes. This limits the application of ocean energy technologies domestically and Singapore’s wind speed is too low to generate power efficiently. Because of its strong capabilities in electronics, precision engineering and chemicals sectors, the viable REs in Singapore are solar and biofuels.This article discusses objectives of Singapore’s national energy policy and the latest developments of renewable energy in Singapore. |
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HUM Wei Mei, "A New World in a Clean Tech Era?", 30 September 2009
The Clean Technology (Clean Tech) sector is central to establishing the future global economic and political pecking order. It is the industry and the instrument the world will have to employ if meaningful progress toward reducing mankind's harmful impact on the earth's ecosystem is to be made. Clean Tech's significance derives from three key sources: 1) its central role in mitigating the costs of impending climate change measures, 2) its ability to reward enterprising countries with new avenues for profit, growth and development and 3) its ability to provide strategic option for energy security by creating alternate routes to energy independence. Countries that come out ahead in the Clean Tech sector will be more economically competitive, more secure, and healthier. The compelling logic of Clean Tech puts it the core of the twenty-first century grand strategy of nations preparing to adapt to a carbon-constrained world. |
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Michael QUAH, "Clean, Alternative and Renewable Energy: Beyond Buzzwords and Sound-bites", 30 September 2009
This article is the first of the forthcoming ESI series on clean and renewable energy and is based partly on the work done for the technology roadmap for energy security and environmental sustainability conducted by the author as a Visiting Principal Fellow at ESI. He joined ESI as a Principal Fellow, effective October 2009. |
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Adrian ZHOU, Elspeth THOMSON, “The Motivations for and Some Environmental Concerns Surrounding Biofuels Production in Asia”, 30 June 2009
There are a number of motivations for Asian countries to develop biofuel industries. The primary one is energy security: they would like to reduce their very heavy reliance on imports of oil, particularly from the Middle East. A desire to mitigate climate change does not seem to be major motivation. The production of biofuels in Asia must be managed carefully lest it leads to serious environmental problems stemming from excessive deforestation and over use of fertilisers and water. The production of biofuels may cause hardship through increased prices for food. |
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