Government Responses to the Energy-Climate Crisis

Government Responses to the Energy-Climate Crisis

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​A look into how some of the major governments in the world have progress after the Oil Shock events.

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Objectives

• To learn how a number of developed nations have continued to advance after the Oil Shock events

• To understand the view points that led to the actions of major governments.

• To learn about major projects that governments are currently involved in today in order to limit their need for oil from OPEC.

The United States

The complicated relationship between the US and OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

The US energy sector remains overwhelmingly dependent on oil and coal today.

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• That started to change as natural gas and renewable energy are starting to increase in the market thanks to efforts that limit carbon dioxide emissions associated with climate change.

In 2013, 36 percent of US energy came from oil.

• 27 percent from natural gas

• 19 percent from coal

• 10 percent from renewable sources

• 8 percent from nuclear power

How is the US managing oil today?

• In 2010, the United States imported most of its oil from Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria – in that order. 

• By 2013, the United States, was the world's biggest producer of oil, although about 40 percent of the oil consumed in the United States was still imported.

Why is it so difficult for the United States to make an effective policy to deal with the crisis?

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• The country is used to having energy in abundance.

• The cost of oil in the United States remains very low. Gasoline, for example, is about half the price in the United States as it is in Europe.

Open Ended

How is the US dealing with its large dependency on oil?

Multiple Choice

During the last decade, where is the US getting the majority of its oil?

• Saudi Arabia

• Mexico

• Canada

• Nigeria

Western Europe 

A very different view on how oil is managed.

Most Western European countries are more dependent on imported oil than the United States.

Traditionally, European governments have let the prices for imported fuel go up, as the cost increases in the world market. They have tried to encourage energy conservation through the use of high taxes.

• France has used nuclear power as its response to the energy crisis, and by 2012 it was producing about 83 percent of its electricity from that source. That's one of the highest rates in the world!

• The discovery of oil and natural gas under the North Sea helped Norway and Britain to stop depending on OPEC imported oil.

• In 2005 Finland began constructing one of the world's largest nuclear reactors, but that project has been delayed.

Open Ended

Why do you think Western European nations are so determined to limit their use of oil?

Japan

"It was a great idea... until it wasn't"

Japan has no significant oil, natural gas, or coal deposits.

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That means Japan imported all of its oil!

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In the mid-1970s, out of all industrialized countries, Japan was the most vulnerable to OPEC's actions.

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_{*Remember: OPEC = Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries}

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The government encouraged energy conservation and the people responded!

• After the first oil shock in 1973, it was obvious their dependency had to be reduced.

• By 2010 Japan had reduced its dependency on oil from 75% (consumed in the mid 1970s) less than 50%.

It is interesting to note the differences between Japanese and US societies that have affected

their different responses to the energy crisis.

​Japanese industries have been traditionally more open to reducing consumption than the industries in the US.

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After the oil shocks in the 1970s, 1990 and 1991, the Japanese government got ambitious!

• The government built large oil storage facilities. By the 2000s, Japan had nearly 6 months' supply of oil in storage tanks.

• The Japanese government made nuclear power one of the key parts of its plans to reduce its dependency on imported oil.

• In 2007 Japan had 55 operating nuclear power plants!

And then, everything changed...

• In 1999, because of human error, an uncontrolled chain reaction occurred in a Japanese nuclear fuel plant. Two people were killed and thousands were exposed to moderate levels of radiation.

• In 2002, some plants were exposed to not following correct safety guidelines.

• By 2010 Japan's 55 nuclear power plants were outdated and considered to be dangerous.

The Fukushima Disaster (2011)

In 2011 a tsunami (tidal wave) caused the cooling systems of a group of nuclear reactors in northeast Japan to fail. This led to the release of large amounts of radiation into the air and sea.

After Fukushima...

• By 2013, nuclear power in Japan had declined to only 1% of Japan's total energy supply. 

• Japan is now -again- dependent on oil being Imported from OPEC members...

Open Ended

Do you think that Japan made the right decision to go back to OPEC oil after Fukushima? Or should they just have built newer and better nuclear reactors?

China

The New Oil Player in the Game

How does China provide enough fuel in a way that does not seriously harm the environment?

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China's population is so large, and its economy is growing at such a fast rate, that its demand for energy is huge!

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In 2009, China replaced the United States as the largest total user of energy.

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China is also already the world's biggest importer of coal.

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As China continues to industrialize, there is concern about where the new energy will come from.

China's Plan

Here are some steps China's taking to meet their energy demand.

#1 China built the world's largest program to ​

create methane gas for use as fuel in rural areas. 

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​The gas is produced by fermenting animal and human wastes in simple generators.

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The gas is produced by fermenting animal and human wastes in simple generators.

#2 China established higher fuel efficiency standards on its cars.

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This is so each car needs less fuel, and as the number of cars grows, they won't need as much fuel.

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#3 China plans to increase its number of nuclear power plants.

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China is starting construction on 10 new plants each year.

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#4 China plans to significantly increase its renewable energy sources like: solar and wind power, and small hydroelectric dams.

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China's Twelfth Five-Year Plan set a plan for the country to generate 15 percent of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2020.

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Multiple Choice

How many parts are in the "China Plan"?

• 1

• 10

• 6

• 4

• 40

Open Ended

Do you believe in the "China Plan"? Should other countries follow their lead?

The End!

Great job class⭐️