Commission on Science & Technology for Development

Chair: Diego Ramrez Surez Moderators: Karina Paz Flores, Mariela Daz Serra Rojas

Topic A: Exploitation of new sources of energy in developing countries

Near 1.5 billion people, or more than a fifth of the worlds population, have no access to any source of energy, and a billion more have only an unreliable and intermittent supply. Of the people without electricity, 85% live in rural areas or on the borders of cities. Taking energy into these areas is quite expensive: the United Nations estimates that an average of $35 billion-40 billion a year needs to be invested until 2030 so everyone on the planet can make use of electricity as any other person who has access to this service, and have energy for productive uses such as schooling. According to the International Energy Agency, 16% of the population wont still have energy for year 2030. Whats even more important is the possible scarceness of actual energy sources, such as petroleum, carbon, among others. If theres not even the possibility of helping countries in ways of development with current energy, how are we supposed to help them when these sources are over? The solution to this problem is finding new ways of how is best to invest in new sources of energy for these countries who wont be able to see energy near unless the full-developed countries help in this important task.

Topic B: Potential risks of nuclear energy

An accident in a nuclear power plant could kill more people than were killed by the atomic bomb thrown in Nagasaki during World War II. Furthermore, the economic consequences would be catastrophic. The cost of the accident could cost up to three times the economic benefits of the nuclear power plant. But the consequences alone do not define risk. The probability of an accident is equally important, because if the risk of an accident is known there would be several accidents that could be prevented. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) attempts to limit the risk to the public from nuclear plant operation to less than 1 percent of the risk the public faces from other accidents. What countries that use this kind of energy need to do is to verify that the risk control is reduced to the least, according to the NRC. The protection of workers, civilians and of course the environment is always a priority, and the problem should be solved as soon as possible.

Useful links:
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Startpage.asp?intItemID=4839 http://www.economist.com/node/16909923 http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_risk/safety/nuclear-plant-riskstudies.html