评论者：Jean-Michel Valantin博士

Dr Jean-Michel Valantin — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 19:52:54 +0000

回复给 Gene V。

Thanks a lot Gene for these very enlightening comments ! Indeed, the rise of renewable energy goes with international massive power shift ! And new centres of power are emerging.
Best,
Jean-Michel Valantin

评论者：Gene V

Gene V — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 22:27:26 +0000

It is great to read of the strategic forethought of the leaders of the UAE described here by Dr. Valantin. No matter what one thinks of the causes, timing or results of climate change, it is a geologic certainty. Ten thousand years ago much of Europe and North America were covered by glacial ice in retreat. The present day deserts of New Mexico that had been rich woodlands hosting the Clovis culture hunting mammoths, then hosted the Folsom culture hunting bison on fertile plains, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-clovis-point-and-the-discovery-of-americas-first-culture-3825828/ which culture also fell due to changing climate and desertification. Perhaps the richest hunting, fowling and fishing ground in Europe was Doggerland, now deep beneath the North Sea http://nationalgeographic.org/maps/doggerland/. How long a timeline is needed to be strategic when we look at a nation like the UAE, or even the human race itself? The UAE has faced the reality of their current opportunity due to the abundant, but still limited extractable energy resources, and looked to build a future.
This forethought is a dramatic counterpoint to what is currently going on in Venezuela, where their abundant oil wealth and resources were squandered https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2244rank.html , appropriated by the state and leaders http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3192933/Hugo-Chavez-s-ambassador-daughter-Venezuela-s-richest-woman-according-new-report.html , and used to peddle local and regional influence http://www.bbc.com/news/business-21081458 while subsidizing a paternalistic and unsustainable culture http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/venezuela/overview . The recent dry spell there has resulted in electricity shortages in the country with the world’s largest oil reserves. Reduced oil prices, coupled with policies which drove out international investment and scuttled the dreams of local entrepreneurs produced high production costs and resulted in a lack of funds for trade and to power the Venezuelan State’s Bolivarian Revolution subsidies http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/28/world/americas/venezuela-economic-government-collapse.html?_r=0 . Of course, this is blamed on “anti-revolutionary” and capitalist forces http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11908 , rather than their own shortsightedness and poor policies. We will see in the coming months and years how this will play out as the economic, climactic and political realities interact in Venezuela.
On a positive note, the democratic Republic of Costa Rica has long committed to sustainability, realizing their best natural resources is biodiversity and committing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2021. How have they done? Costa Rica is called “A Model for Sustainability” by Earthshare http://www.earthshare.org/2015/05/cr.html and ranked #1 by the Happy Planet index http://www.happyplanetindex.org/countries/costa-rica/ . Despite 2015 being a year of severe drought in Costa Rica, as in Venezuela, they achieved 99% renewable energy generation http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/costa-rica-achieved-99-renewable-energy-year.html and have been an electricity exporter – selling 135 million kwh in 2014 http://www.indexmundi.com/map/?v=82 . The revolution in electric vehicle technology holds great promise to transform the transportation market in Costa Rica, which would go a long way towards eliminating most energy imports, pollution and smog, as the average vehicle in Costa Rica is about 16 years old and legislators are currently debating significant incentives for a transportation technology transformation of the country. http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/02/19/costa-rica-electric-cars .
In the end, strategic thought and leadership actions in sustainability, human development, and technology can have positive impacts for nations, and the world, in the long run as shown by the examples of UAE and Costa Rica. Shortsightedness in these same areas can result in economic disasters and even ecological, economic and political migrations of people as those states fail the people they are supposed to protect and represent.

"阿拉伯联合酋长国：一个可持续发展的工业帝国的崛起？

评论者：Jean-Michel Valantin博士

评论者：Gene V