Sarah Jordan Homework #3 14 March 2013 Sustainable Energy The focus of Jerome Dangerman and Hans Joachim Schellnhubers

article is the topic of the evolution toward rigidity illustrated through the locked in system within the global energy economy. The researchers divide the global energy system into two subsystems - the conventional system consisting of oil, coal, natural gases, uranium and biofuels that generate known environmental and economic problems. The negative effects of CO2 emissions, air, land and water pollution, nuclear waste, political conflicts, declining energy resources and an increase in food prices accompanied with this system demonstrates the current need for sustainability. The alternative system of solar, wind, geothermal and hydro energy unlike the conventional system, generates almost no known problems dealing with the economy and the environment. Although it is not generally favored as a primary source of energy. This article examines previous transitions within energy use- wood to coal and then coal to oil and their leading factors. Initially, exploring the reasons for rigidity in favoring fossil fuels despite the negative effects which is identified as a result due to the role of shareholders. Shareholders short term interests and maintaining heavy investments in conventional energy industries and companies helps lead to increased profits which in turn causes greater investments in the realm of reliable and profitable technology - explained as the Success to the Successful. (Dangerman) The researchers note this as a dominant positive feedback in order to alter the current system. (IIASA )This allows a form of negative feedback through the introduction of new rules of shareholder liability therefore causing co-responsibility for the damages caused by their companies. (IIASA) The argument resides in the fact that companies are often penalized for damages meanwhile their owners are not because once no negative

feedback affects the shareholders there would be no need to reallocate investments or move there management away from immediate profits to alternative purposes.(Dangerman) Ultimately, if there were clear-cut liabilities, repercussions and responsibilities, a shift investment towards sustainable energy ventures would be a possibility. Van den Berghs commentary on the Energy Systems Transformations discusses four challenges left unaddressed in Dangerman and Schellnhubers article by exploring each phase in their model and in the argument to shift to sustainable energy and possible effective policies and strategies. Dangerman and Schellnhubers focused on the lock-in of dirty technologies due to the increasing returns to scale but lacked the examination on how the instrument would affect innovation and regulation of environmental externalities that differ between technologies. (Bergh) The main challenge is a triple externality problem- negative environmental eternality, positive innovation/knowledge externality and lock-in. (Bergh)That could be addressed either through private decisions that need to account for external costs along with the removal of environmentally harmful subsides, the protection of innovators to obtain the benefits of their investments and the deterrence innovation in conventional energy sector. Van de Bergh notes the incomplete analysis of D&S in the failure to address the indirect effects/escape routes of positive policies and strategies and possible solutions in fostering an international climate agreement, a ceiling in total CO2 emissions and externality price of fossil fuels. There is also a lack of economic rationale in the transition for sustainable energy. Lastly, Van den Bergh draws attention to the finical crisis that would exist due to the radical implications of the D&S instrument. Though the drastic shift of investments in dirty technologies would cause economic instability, his approach to prevent such would be in the creation of a liability law focused on the redirection of investments allowing for a transitional period. Van den Berghs

commentary serves to provide a deeper exploration of the implementations for transitioning to sustainable energy through policy challenges noted in Dangerman and Schellnhubers article. Smils overview of the different energy options in Chapter 6 of his Beginners Guide of Energy, helped to expose my inner thoughts of how we can achieve an sustainable energy future. Smil focused on the known problem of the positive relationship between combustion fuels and global warming which calls for a shift. The arguments against biomass energies dealing with health,environmental, and efficiency issues makes me shy away from such energy forms and more towards hydro, solar, nuclear and wind energy options. The issues regarding sustainability is different for each sector, whether it is the in the corporate sector- viewing sustainability as a economic , environmental or social equity concern, or in development circles- where there is a strive to eliminate the trade-off between fulling present day needs and forfeiting the ability for future generations to meet their own. (Bierbaum ) Nonetheless a common concern is shared to maintain these resources for the future. In order to do so a shift to alternative energy is needed. The problem does not lie in public approval noted by Smil because overall there is very high acceptance rate for renewable alternative energy. The challenge is in the resource of energy because energy drives human existence, yet many do not have access to affordable energy and with the global demand and growing population rising, the thoughts of how energy is supplied, distributed and in what form plays a role in a sustainable planet. (Bierbaum ) Energy in the form of solar or wind not only benefits in low costs, high sustainability and efficiency but can lead to the reduction in water demand for energy production which positivity effects global water consumption in having water for higher usage. Policies, incentives and regulatory actions need to be required for new technologies to be accepted in the market. Solar, wind and geothermal technologies are more efficient and affordable therefore

increasing viability. (Bierbaum) They can be used locally which would help promote energy security along with their known effects of reducing CO2 emissions from fossil combustion. There should be a strength in market forces to suppress subsidies for fossil fuel production which makes it hard for new technologies to compete and in turn reallocate those subsidies to renewables like hydroelectricity that is both economically and financially viable. (Bierbaum) Ultimately, only one energy source does not yield a perfect solution in achieving a sustainable planet but our choices about the current and future energy sources will effect our development. Through technological innovation with energy efficiency and smarter practices of alternative resources more energy efficient methods will come into existence in the future. The question of how to sustain ourselves shift to hands of the political and social sectors to solve.

Bibliography Dangerman, Jrme Joachim. "Energy Systems Transformation." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.

IIASA. "PNAS: Shareholder Responsibility Could Spur Shift to Sustainable Energy." International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 08 Jan. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.

Van Den Bergh, Jeroem. "Policies to Enhance Economic Feasibility of a Sustainable Energy Transition." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.

Bierbaum, Rosina M., and Pamela A. Matson. "Energy in the Context of Sustainability." Ddalus, the Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Winter 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.

Smil, Vaclav. Energy: A Beginner's Guide. Oxford, England: Oneworld Publications, 2006. Print.