Singapore’s Climate Action Plan: Adopting Green Energy

SINGAPORE’S CLIMATE ACTION PLANNameProfessorDate
Contents Page TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc478550273 \h 2Singapore’s Climate Action Plan PAGEREF _Toc478550274 \h 31.Adopting Green Energy PAGEREF _Toc478550275 \h 42.Improving Energy Efficiency at Home, Transport and in Industries PAGEREF _Toc478550276 \h 53.Enhancing Efficiency through Research Initiatives PAGEREF _Toc478550277 \h 6Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc478550278 \h 7Works Cited PAGEREF _Toc478550279 \h 8
Introduction
Climate change has been a phenomenon that has greatly attracted the world’s attention due to the adverse effects it causes on ecological systems worldwide. More than 700 species of birds, animals and plants face extinction from the changing weather and climatic patterns. The United Nations and other organizations concerned with the state of the planet, have often organized conferences and climatic convections to come up with ways, in which countries could help stem emission of greenhouse gases that encourage climate change. Although many have ratified the decisions, they are far from implementing them.
Climate change occurs when the emission of greenhouse gases causes gradual increase in the world’s temperature by trapping the sun’s heat (MEWR). This causes the melting of the polar ice and disruption of the planetary weather systems in some parts of the world. This has seen increased droughts in Africa, heavy tornadoes and hurricanes in America, heavy typhoons in southern Asia and disruptive downpours and ocean activities in Australia (NCCS.gov). The melting of polar ice poses great danger to port cities like Hong Kong, Venice, Manilla and Sydney among others. Singapore, being one of the coastal cities, is in great danger of flooding, tropical cyclones, storms, ambient temperatures and rise in sea level. The changing weather patterns in Singapore can also cause prolonged drought, intense rain, and hastened coastal erosion that may disrupt biodiversity and food supply.
Singapore established the Climatic Action Plan aiming at reducing carbon emission by 36% when it comes to 2030. Such ambitious mission requires proper strategy being in place in order to achieve this target. This study explores three areas where the plan can help Singapore reduce carbon emission and reduce the impacts of climate change.
Singapore’s Climate Action Plan
The country will require to implement several strategies to ensure it achieves the mandates of its action plan. These will include:
1 Adopting Green Energy
Unlike other nations with massive land mass, Singapore is a small country, which does not have the luxury of space to explore alternative energy generation techniques. Greenhouse gases and increased carbon emission occurs through reliance on oil for electricity generation. Oil-driven electric generators produce carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon (IV) oxide which are very harmful greenhouse gases. They combine with atmospheric moisture to form acid rains and trap radiation that increases the global temperature (Hansen, Sato & Ruedy). The country cannot explore wind energy since the 3m/s wind speed cannot sustain large scale application that requires at least 6m/s (NCCS.gov). It cannot also explore tidal and wave power since its tidal range is 1.7m compared to 4m required for such activity. Electric generation using oil seems to be the cheaper and long term solution for the country’s energy needs due to lack of wind energy, hydroelectric and space for building nuclear power station.
However, the nation has significantly reduced electric power generation using oil and has embraced the use of natural gas in electric power generation. In fact, the country generates96% of its electric power using natural gas (Climate Action Tracker). The nation will also have to explore solar and wind energy as a worthy alternative. Although lack of land space may limit this plan, the country can use its vast array of buildings and skyscrapers and fit them with solar panels that will supply up to 15% of the country’s energy needs. By using natural gas, wind and solar energies in power generation, the country will have embraced green energy that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions.
The country is already engaging energy generation companies to adopt environmental friendly energy generation mechanism especially the Combine Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) (NCCS.gov...