Issue 56, November 2008

In this issue:   Headlines     Events    The Last Word
 

The Practical Advantages of an Ethical Approach to Climate Change

By 2050 our energy needs will have more than doubled but Governments are committing to emit only 30% of current emissions. Our carbon to energy ratio will have to be 15% of our current ratio. How can we deliver that? Julian Fairfield provides some insights. <more>

Youth Provides Plenty To Ponder in National Energy Essays

The Centre’s National Energy Essay Competition provided an exceptional insight into how the young generation (30 and under) sees our energy futures. Here is what young people who can think, do think.

$47,000 in prizes was awarded on Thursday 20 November 2008 at Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney. Entries were impressive and represented a huge individual and collective effort.

Entrants responded to two challenges (see www.neec.org.au ):

Firstly “Provide your prediction for the changes in primary energy demand, sourcing and facilities for electrical generation in Australia’s geographical regions supplied by the Eastern and Western electricity grids for the period 2010 through 2050.”

Secondly “Provide your view of the likely longer term energy sources, amenable to Australia for its electrical energy needs to 2100, allowing for future scientific evolution of energy production for industry and society in the context of energy changes witnessed since the industrial revolution.”

All the contestants indicated that primary energy sources would change as emission controls were applied. Some entries included quite innovative ideas and concepts which were appropriate to Australia’s uniquely dispersed population centres, vastness and most significant renewable energy resources.

The Sumitomo Australia Prize Winner – Reuben Finighan (from Victoria)

The basic infrastructure that underpins our lives is at heart unsustainable. The latter half of this century may bring solutions to a whole range of currently intractable problems, but also a whole new set of problems that are beyond our imagining today.

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

The Babcock & Brown Power/Wind Partners Prize was shared.

Justin Harding (from Vic)

“Our per capita energy use is high and GHG intensive. Our emissions are on track to double between 2000 and 2050, but instead we must target a 60% reduction. How to do this? Instead of starting with a forecast of demand and trying to determine how to supply that energy, an alternative approach is to study the supply side options and constraints first…”

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

Dr David Butler, Jerome Rowcroft and Simon Andrews (from Tas)

“Australia's energy demand is predicted to more than double over the period 2010-2050, with existing electrical generators supplying 12 percent of energy in 2050. The new generation of electrical supply can either follow the current fossil fuel trend or make a step change into renewable energy…. “

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

21 and Under Prize Winner: Aleks Atrens (from Qld)

“In the long term (by 2100), the energy sector will have changed significantly. Hot fusion power will be available for baseline power. Sunlight will be used to power biologically-based processes to convert biomass into products, and to store solar energy as Hydrogen gas. Fossil fuels will be being phased out as they become less economically extractable and a long-living population has increasing interest in the long-term future.”

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

Two Honorable Mentions were awarded

Ryan Dudley and Anthony Hadley (from NSW)

“Correctly predicting what the future holds for Australia’s energy marketplace over the next 40 years is akin to a prediction in the 1960’s that the world economy would be constrained by carbon emissions in 2010. What is in store for the next 100 years and what it holds for Australia’s society and economy will be shaped by a number of forces, some of which are known and almost certain to occur while others have yet to surface.”

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

Christopher Chapman (from ACT)

Securing Australia’s energy supply into the future will be one of the most challenging policy problems to have faced the nation during peacetime. A dramatic break from the energy status quo is required.

Read a synopsis here, the full essay here.

The National Energy Essay Competition was made possible by the following sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors
Bobcock & Brown Wind Partners
Bobcock & Brown Power
Sumitomo Australia Pty Ltd

Gold Sponsors
ALSTOM
Delta Electricity
Tenix
Tyree

Silver Sponsors
Ampcontrol Pty Ltd
Australian Centre for Innovation
Energex
Middletons
Queensland Gas Company

Media Sponsors
The Australian

Supporters
Australian Institute of Energy
CIGRE
The Australian Power Institute
www.drkarl.com

A call for stories
We love a good Australian (or other) engineering innovation story. Got any? Let us know & we’ll help spread the word!
Send to editor@eng.usyd.edu.au

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