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A few weeks ago whilst visiting Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. I was surprised to find that the United States Commerce Secretary Gary Locke was there to give a talk on clean energy cooperation.
Tsinghua University is a center of cultural and academic excellence in China with a rich and profound history and a strong commitment to scientific and mathematical discovery- In fact the Tsinghua University Science Park (TusPark) which stands side by side with the University, is the largest science park in the world and hosts over a thousand foreign companies
TusPark also has over 30,000 staff working on R & D and is said on average to register more than 2,500 industrial patents and design registrations each year - which brings in a substantial income and makes it a profitable enterprise.
One only has to look at the magnificent buildings all with energy efficient features to realize the investment that is being applied there over 30,000 students live on the campus, with many more involved in distant learning. Many prominent Chinese politicians have graduated from this fine university making it probably the most important university in China.
To return to the visit of Secretary Locke, it seems that U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke was in Beijing on the last leg of the China business development clean energy trade mission - that also stopped off in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
It was the first Cabinet-level trade mission of President Obamas administration. The mission aims to advance President Obamas National Export Initiative which is focused on doubling U.S. exports within five years to support job growth in the U.S.A. (probably organized before the oil spill tragedy that is presently playing itself out in California)
Secretary Locke told his audience that he was very impressed with what he found at the University as most first time visitors are. In fact it is overwhelming to say the least.
Secretary Lockes talks to the students and professors were also covered live on the web making his presence a instant international event, and should help boost better relations and cooperation. Tsinghua University is now really the preeminent clean energy academic think tank in China and a central player in clean energy research and design.
Secretary Locke went on to explain that Tsinghuas Low Carbon Energy Lab has played an important role in the formation of China's clean energy policies; and he was pleased to learn that both U.S. and Chinese researchers have been working side-by-side to develop new energy technologies.
The spirit of academic cooperation that is seen every day at Tsinghua holds important lessons for American and Chinese business and government leaders seeking to solve perhaps the most daunting challenge the modern world has ever faced:
In fact what surprised me most of all about the comments made by Gary Lock was the c-change in the U.S policy on climate change compared to past Presidents.
I was also surprised to learn the amazing direction his speech took as opposed to the usual comments on evidence of observed climate changes such as instrumental temperature records, rising sea levels, decreased snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and of the observed increase in global average related to greenhouse gas . . He was in fact far more forthcoming and swaging than I could have imagined.
He went on as follows:
The spirit of academic cooperation that is seen every day at Tsinghua holds important lessons for American and Chinese business and government leaders seeking to solve perhaps the most daunting challenge the modern world has ever faced: How to meet the energy needs of the 21st century without creating an environmental disaster.
A few years ago, the late Nobel prize-winning chemist Richard Smalley began giving lectures around the world identifying the top 10 global problems of the next 50 years.
Dr. Smalley highlighted:
Access to water, food and education;
The problems of poverty, overpopulation, terrorism and disease;
Issues of education and democracy.
But there was one issue that trumped all the others: energy.
Dr. Smalley said that: If you imagined a world where the energy problem was solved, you would find that at least five of the nine remaining problems on the list now had a path to a reasonable answer. In the absence of solving the energy problem, its not clear there is an acceptable answer at all.
So, what exactly is our energy problem?
To begin with, we need more of it a lot more.
By mid-century, global energy use is going to double.
To meet these future energy demands, wed have to turn on two new 1,000-megawatt power plants this week, and every week for the next 30 years.
But were not looking for any old kind of energy.
This new energy has to be clean to avoid catastrophic climate change. And it has to be cheap to keep our economies growing.
I believe that the United States and China must lead the way in solving this problem.
We are, on the one hand, the two largest emitters of climate change causing greenhouse gases in the world. This alone gives us a moral responsibility to help prevent the rising tides, increased droughts, and more unpredictable weather that is in our future if we do not reduce our fossil fuel consumption.
That is the very real downside of our energy and climate challenge.
But there is opportunity in any challenge. Energy is no different.
I believe the development of the clean energy and energy efficiency technologies that we need to curb greenhouse gas emissions could be the greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century.
Worldwide, energy is a $6 trillion market, and the fastest-growing sector is of the cleaner, greener kind.
That is why this week, I have come to China with over 24 American companies that represent the best America has to offer in the areas of clean energy, energy efficiency, and electricity storage, transmission and distribution.
These companies already possess cutting-edge technologies that can help China meet its ambitious energy efficiency goals, while also spurring the creation of new jobs in China and the United States.
But it is also important to remember that many of the technologies needed to successfully cope with climate change simply dont exist yet.
It could be next-generation biofuels, modular nuclear reactors, electric cars charged by a smart electricity grid, or carbon capture and storage that completely changes the way the world uses energy.
It could be all of the above. Or it could be other innovations that we have yet to imagine.Thats where the students, researchers and scientists of Tsinghua University come in.
The United States, China and the entire world are counting on bright, motivated people like all of you to discover these new energy technologies whether its done in an academic research lab or as an employee of an energy company.
Although our energy problems are daunting, they do have solutions.
And many of them can be solved with the science, math and engineering skills that you learn here every day.
With your talent, your creativity and your ingenuity, you have the power to make a real difference, and I hope you will seize that opportunity.
With that Secretary Gary Locke brought his speech to a close.
Well what an amazing breath of fresh air from the USA, but it was the daunting comments attributed to the late Nobel prize-winning chemist Richard Smalley - To meet these future energy demands, wed have to turn on two new 1,000-megawatt power plants this week, and every week for the next 30 years. That took my breath away.
But News Digest quoting Nobel Laureate Dr. Henry Kendall this week gets the final word.
If we don't halt population growth with justice and compassion, it will be done for us by nature, brutally and without pity - and will leave a ravaged world. Nobel Laureate Dr. Henry W. Kendall
News Digest Comment
World Fails to Meet Biodiversity Target. May 09, 2010
Analysis shows that biodiversity is being lost as fast as ever, and we have made little headway in reducing the pressures on species, habitats and ecosystems. It needs to be the year we start taking the issue seriously and increase our efforts to take care of what is left of our planet.
Well my newly formed Cambridge Academy of Green Culture has plenty to become involved in it seems, which is why we formed it but sadly with all the worries on Global Warming, green issues and concerns for humanity and survival in general despite the facts that you hear so much about everyday, and almost everyone you meet saying that something must be done! Actually doing something is not that easy. Almost everything you wish to do needs approval from one government office or agency or another and that approval is hardly ever forthcoming.
Planning approval plus lack of consent from local communities are an inevitable stumbling block and accountants, solicitors, contractors seem to be helpless when you seriously wish to do anything that is beneficial to saving our world. There is far more evidence of protests against solar-panels, wind farms etc. in Europe than there is news of approvals from the authorities and people at large. Regardless of your feelings on Chinese politics there is no doubt that China will overtake the world with energy efficiency within the next 20 years, whilst in the West democratic policy will ultimately get in the way of progress in saving the planet.
Albert Gazeley June 1st 2010
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