After Nuclear Disaster, Japan to Focus on Geothermal Energy and Other REs

Shot of damaged reactor buildings (Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster)
Author: Digita- Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license Globe 

It happened on March 11, 2011 - first came the earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohuku, now known to be the most powerful earthquake ever to have hit Japan. Then, the tsunami hit, with the height of the waves reaching up to 133 feet, formidable and terrifying by any standard.

But that wasn't all. What came next compounded the terror: a series of malfunctioning equipment, nuclear meltdowns and explosions, culminating in the release of radioactive materials into the air. 

The world watched as events unfolded and reports came in about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, sharing in the grief and despair of the Japanese.

More than a year later,  Japan now has a strong and high interest in finding alternative energy sources, largely fueled by the fears and safety issues brought on by the tragedies that happened in March 2011. 

To appease the people’s safety apprehensions, Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors were disabled right after the disaster. Only two have since resumed their operations.

Proponents of renewable energy have long been advocating that geothermal energy may not only address the power demands of the Japanese, but also help alleviate the country’s power crisis. 

This is not a far-fetched scenario. In fact, it is highly probable, particularly now that energy supply in Japan is not really that stable.

Digging deep into the bowels of the earth for the steam that can provide the much needed clean energy and safe power through a geothermal plant is a very enticing alternative, compared to a nuclear plant.
The Japanese government recently announced its plans to triple renewable energy sources by 2030, inclusive of course, of geothermal energy. The first-ever geothermal power plant began its operations in 1966 in Iwate Prefecture near Akita Prefecture. 17 geothermal plants are currently in active service nationwide, and nine of these are located near or within designated national parks and monuments.

The existing geothermal plants generate 535 megawatts of energy, accounting for about 0.2 percent of the country’s total energy output. This is very small, compared to the estimated potential of Japan, since more than 20 gigawatts of geothermal energy capacity could still be developed.

Several years ago, there was a hump to be considered in implementing geothermal power projects, or even geothermal exploration in Japan. Almost 80 percent of Japan’s potential geothermal reserves are located in areas designated as national parks and monuments. When Japan was only starting to develop its geothermal resources, this didn’t bother anyone. However priorities soon shifted and in 1974, advocacies for environmental protection led to the banning of further developments.

But by 2010, priorities once again shifted as global warming concerns and the introduction of green energy goals ushered the Ministry of the Environment to review the existing policies on exploiting geothermal energy reserves located in national parks.

In March of 2012, the Japanese government finally lifted its decades-old ban thus allowing geothermal exploration projects in five new potential sites to commence under supervision, as these geothermal reserves are found in national parks and monuments.

Japan's situation regarding clean energy, specifically geothermal exploration and geothermal power plants, is not unique. 

In the Philippines for example, there is a nearly parallel situation in Sorsogon, in the Southern Bicol region, with the Southern Bicol Geothermal Project often mistakenly called Bulusan Geothermal exploration initiatives.  (Mt. Bulusan is the volcano proximate to the geothermal exploration area being considered, hence confusion sometimes arises.)

As is the case with Japan, the national government of the Philippines, through the Department of Energy, is fully backing not only the use, but just as importantly, the development of renewable energy sources, which includes geothermal energy. 

Fortunately, in Japan, despite some setbacks, there is strong support generated by those who see the situation from various perspectives. Takakazu Fujiwara, an official in the Yuzawa City planning office, said, “Geothermal power has been viewed by Yuzawa City as something that can generate business, so as a municipality we are actively promoting it.” 

Joining the ranks of ardent supporters of Yuzawa’s geothermal energy development is the Yuzawa City Geothermal Development Facilitation Council, a local activist group which was formed when Japan started its first geothermal projects 30 years ago — three of these pilot projects were in the Akita Prefecture.

“Many city residents, including myself, support geothermal power development because it sets us apart from surrounding municipalities,” said 77-year old Shoji Sato, chairman of the group. “It’s a unique industry that the cities around us don’t have."

Most telling of all, however, is the imperative to find a clean and safe alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear power.

That imperative is not only for Japan, but for all of humanity 

More Sensible Investments

I’ve always been a fan of “mobster films.”  Anything from the classics such as “The Goodfellas,” “Scarface,” “Cidade de Deus,” and of course the ever-popular classic, “The Godfather” trilogy – although I wouldn’t exactly say that I cared too much for the latter’s third installment. I’ve also been a fan of the series, “The Sopranos” when it aired on television.

I wouldn’t exactly say that I liked the violence and the murders (or in the mob parlance, “wetwork”). I’m not one to judge on the gray and black market dealings and the mob’s business rackets (which are centered mainly on the illegal and “shady” practices such as union dealings, drug and liquor-running, smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering, among others) – after all, according to the character of Vito Corleone, it doesn’t actually make a difference how someone makes his or her living.

What really speaks to me whenever I watch these films is how the main characters’ alter egos (or their mob personas) are well-juxtaposed with their private lives. It is almost formulaic, bordering on cliché, but the magic works through the development of the characters. In my opinion, this is the very reason (or at least one of the biggest reasons) why people patronize these films. Despite the ugly association with the generally perceived “dirty mob reputation”, the characters are shown a different side – a human side – which displays their weaknesses, their quirks, their fears, their humorous antics, and what sets them off. The striking contrast between “mobster alter ego” and “regular family guy” satisfies the curiosity of people.

But another personal reason why I find these films fascinating is due to the fact that in hindsight, I’ve unconsciously drawn a lot of parallelisms between the films’ narratives and real life. That is when I realized that despite all the wanton display of violence, I felt some strange familiarity while watching these films. I wouldn’t exactly call it comfort. But whenever I see myself in similar situations like the characters, it helps me think how to properly reassess my actions. The lessons learned from the characters’ mistakes in addition to my own are contributing forces to help me shape my own character into a better one.

By nature, I am short-tempered, iron-willed, headstrong, and observant. I don’t really talk much, because I actually spend a lot of time thinking. I’ve learned to read and see through people. I do what needs to be done.

However, as I’ve found, this doesn’t sit too well with some kinds of people. There are times when I’ve let my annoyance get the better of me especially when I had to deal with people who talk first and think later. Further, there are even people who, due to a lack of observable reassurance because, well, I’m not too talkative, are fond of jumping to conclusions. There are those who like to give me attitude despite my best efforts to be civil and diplomatic. If these people met me when I was younger, I would have probably whacked the living daylights out of them. Especially if they had caught me on a bad day, I wouldn’t think twice because I would see it as a justified act due to provocation.

But of course, I realized that that kind of frame of mind only reduced me to nothing other than being a common thug – similar to some of the mobsters I’ve seen on screen. I didn’t want to turn out to be a brute. In my mind, the top-level people do not need to resort to getting their hands dirty. Why, they are actually sharply dressed and sophisticated people. Since I am the thinking kind, I did not really find it that difficult transfer my proclivities from being “brawn-based” to “mind-based”. Besides, I wasn’t really even gifted with a brawny physique. Further, the irony is that only when I was formally taught martial arts (Muay Thai and Wing Chun) that I actually imbibed the values of physical, mental, and spiritual discipline. While on the surface my teacher taught me the way of the fist (so to speak) I realized later on that he was actually teaching me an inner discipline – that which rests in the mind.

“Violence only begets violence. Respect begets respect,” were my late grandfather’s words. An academician and engineer by profession, he has lived through the Second World War and Martial Law. Despite everything that he has achieved in his lifetime, he remained quiet and humble. He never seemed to think that he was bigger than who he was just by the virtue of his age and experiences – rather, he saw fit that it was better to learn the lessons from these experiences and be a better person.

All these realizations and introspections allowed me to be conscious of who and what I want to be as a person. This is probably one of the more sensible investments I’ve made thus far.

Another parallelism that I drew from these films is the rampant usage of guns (minus the part about actually killing people with them). My father, a public servant and academician, is a firearms enthusiast. Even as a small child, I always remembered that it was a common sight to see guns around the house – but of course, they weren’t unsupervised. From this hobby, my father has made friends in the police and military ranks. He also gave me my own guns, but I didn’t use them anyway (and I sincerely hope I would never have to). They are collection pieces anyway – a pistol from the Second World War, and my grandfather’s old hunting rifle – with the firing pins locked away.

However, if there was one trait that the mobsters have (or at least, the top ones) that I wished my father had, is the former’s sharp sense of business. My father has a very weak business sense – so much that when we tried opening a small restaurant, the losses were greater than the net income. He consumed through the inventory of the merchandise himself. My mother constantly bewailed that he is not spending his money wisely. After all, you can’t eat a gun, right?

Actually, if only I have the right cards – the machinations, the right people, and the investment money – I would like to make one more sensible investment myself: renewable energy.

It’s because renewable energy really is the trend for the future. Picture this: the distribution of oil is naturally unequal across the world. Some nations have reserves for it, some don’t. Some have the capacity to sell it, however, the majority of nations actually don’t. The majority buys oil from other nations.

Many nations have to resort to importing oil because to them it is not a native and indigenous resource. However, the old technologies that came to rely on burning fossil fuels are still being widely used. The good thing is that as more and more nations are taking the steps towards sustainable development and green economics, the interest for renewable energy keeps growing as the years progress. Research and technology are improving the odds that renewable energy would be able to meet the needs of the people.

Energy security is a great concern especially as the world enters the coming centuries. The world’s populations are expected to rise. More people mean more settlements. More settlements mean a greater demand for power and electricity.

As oil gets more and more expensive (not to mention that sooner or later it would be depleted), the dependence on this one resource alone will prove to be less and less feasible. Thus, why not look for alternative sources which can be naturally replenished? Besides, as the world is experiencing global warming and climate change, increased usage of renewable sources gives Mother Earth a much-needed break. Fossil fuel burning has been linked to greater carbon emissions, which in turn is said to be the culprit for climate change.

The Philippines is one of those countries that seek to improve the usage of renewable energy. In fact, through the National Renewable Energy Program, the government seeks to attract the interest of potential investors and developers through incentives. Policies that are economically sound and business-oriented are mandated to bolster the greater usage of renewable energy in the country.

This seems to be working, as many corporations (with stakeholders both from the private and government sectors) are looking to secure their service contracts through the Department of Energy. One such corporation is the publicly listed Basic Energy Corporation, which aims to close three service contracts in order to develop geothermal plants in East Mankayan (Benguet), Mariveles (Bataan) and Iriga City, (Camarines Sur). Basic Energy is also planning a 20-Megawatt (MW) geothermal powerplant in Mabini, Batangas. The corporation is also looking for the possibility of having a joint venture with other companies. There is also the planned geothermal exploration in Bulusan, which has the support not only of the Department of Energy but also the endorsement of the prestigious World Wildlife Fund.

I wouldn’t mind investing in renewable energy. After all, compared to the money made by the mobsters that need to be constantly laundered, having business interests in renewable energy is a lot cleaner (literally and figuratively). Not only is it in line with the whole country’s initiative towards sustainable development, it is also environmentally sound. Earning a living doesn’t necessarily have to be a “bad” or “dirty” business. Vito Corleone may be right, after all.

So yes, if I did have the means an investment in renewable energy would definitely be another one of the more sensible investments that I would make. Hopefully, someday I would have the means.

Dystopian Futures and Energy Woes

Every time I open a packet of saltine crackers, vivid flashbacks of familiar scenes come to mind. I particularly recall all the disturbing bits where people go to a facility to voluntarily end their lives. When one man barged into the facility in an attempt to talk his aging friend out of the latter’s decision to be euthanized, this man made a startling discovery. The cadavers are processed into foodstuff, namely, crackers (yum). These crackers, which the people have come to depend on as a staple food, are rationed under color-coded names. They are made by the Soylent corporation.

With dramatic flourish, the man shouts about his startling discovery, “Soylent Green is people!”

Of course, I’m talking about the sci-fi cult classic of the same name: Soylent Green. Set in a dystopian future, the film explores the boundaries of a social atmosphere that struggles to find equilibrium between the needs of the populace and the production capacity. With the world population reaching an all-time high, the demand for viable food became exponentially great. Agriculture’s production capacity has reached its limits, and the industrial factories and other institutions have poisoned the land.

Soylent Green paints a viewable picture of the concept of a Malthusian Catastrophe. Food follows an arithmetic progression, while population follows a geometric one. This becomes problematic, as a geometric progression always “outruns” an arithmetic progression. Long story short, the world’s capacity for food production will always be bested by the ever-increasing population of the world. In addition, the lack of a “green framework” for the institutions that societies have come to depend on for hundreds of years would even begin poisoning the very Earth that would continue struggling to support the population load.

Speaking of which, besides food security, other pressing issues are closely related to Soylent Green’s core mantra. 

Population boom and rapid urbanization put pressures on the Earth with other great demands. Two highly intertwined issues that easily come to mind are energy security and climate change.

The discussions regarding these interrelated issues (or “discourse” for the academically-inclined) are indeed rather mazy and intricate.

As the world’s population increases, so does the demand for energy and electricity. Developing nations are naturally looking towards providing equal energy access for its citizens. However, not all countries are endowed with their own reserves of oil, coal, or natural gas (in other words, fossil fuels). Developing nations without fossil fuel reserves are constantly being put under intense pressure due to the price fluctuations of these fossil fuels, which they need to import. In addition, with rising carbon levels that are being made out as the main culprit for global warming and the concurrent changing climate, many proponents at the forefront of the climate change advocacy are calling for increased usage of alternative sources of energy.

The missing piece of the puzzle therefore comes in the form of renewable energy.

Take for example the massive blackout that India endured. According to National Geographic, more than 600 million people in the subcontinent were left in the dark. Traffic lights stopped working resulting in traffic jams. People suffered under the sweltering Indian heat. The railway system, which is popularly known as India’s lifeline being the country’s major mode of transportation, was halted.

Even with India’s most developed cities, this power outage was not seen as unusual. Power shortages are apparently common. However, the duration of the power outage and their geographic extent were apparently not. The Indian Government’s designs on nuclear power and coal for its energy future are being met both with public opposition and the prospective daunting costs for these energy sources. The outlook of developing a nuclear power plant does not sit well with the populace in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan. Coal is also getting costly.

Thus, experts are urging India to move towards renewable energy.

Bloomberg reports that solar energy has now become cheaper than burning diesel – a first in India. The country’s wind resource has also been reassessed and is found to be at least 30 times greater than previously thought. However, renewable energy still sits in a small corner in the entire country’s energy portfolio. In the meantime, power restoration would be the main focus. But in the long term, India as the world’s fourth largest energy consumer will need to find a way to augment its power supply and to modernize the distribution. The United Nations estimates that India, with 1.2 billion people, will overtake China as the most populous country by 2025.

A dystopian future is not too difficult to imagine, actually. An apocalypse does not necessarily need to involve zombies outnumbering people. Food insecurity and shortage would bring about panic buying, supplies hoarding, and chaos for the people. Energy insecurity, on the other hand, would make us witnesses to communications and transportation meltdown, darkened buildings, compromised water and sanitation, and so many other undesirable effects that I don’t even want to start with. Criminality would presumably arise as more members of the populace would be put under duress.

While we still have the time, isn’t it important that we take measure now? A green economy framework and the increased usage of renewable energy are the tools we can use to our disposal. Otherwise, by the time the Earth reaches its Malthusian limits, the prospect of eating food made out of recycled people is actually moving closer to reality.

After all Soylent Green's timeframe was said to be 2022. It's just ten more years to go. 

Time to think... and act.

The Bulusan Geothermal Project – Friend Or Foe?

Two general questions: is geothermal exploration bad for people and the environment? Are geothermal plants contrary to the ideals of sustainable development?

The only way to fully know whether something is our friend or enemy, is to understand its nature.  That's why we need to exert efforts to understand, so that whatever fear or concerns we may have can be seen in the clear light, analyzed, and resolved.

To begin with, the name Bulusan Geothermal Project is a misnomer. The actual name of the proposed undertaking is Southern Bicol Geothermal Project.

There’s a big difference between the names.  It’s not just a matter of semantics. It’s more of how each name actually represents a different idea. Read on, it gets more interesting. :)

The proposed geothermal exploration project is currently being met with disagreement by certain parties – from townspeople, members of the clergy, government officials, non-government organizations (NGOs), and also some media people and journalists.

Some of the anti-geothermal sentiments may indeed be well-meaning. But to get a clearer perspective, it would be good to analyze the primary concerns regarding the geothermal exploration project in question.

I’ve reviewed numerous sites related to the project and come up with the following expressed sentiments, observations, and facts.

·      Sentiment: The Bulusan Geothermal project is a sham! It only serves the interests of a private company and will not benefit the people. It is another form of gross exploitation of local resources by foreign powers!

o   Fact: The correct name of the project is Southern Bicol Geothermal Project (SBGP) in the province of Sorsogon. The SBGP is a project of SKI, a Filipino-owned company. Should the project succeed, it will specifically serve the province of Sorsogon and the Bicol region, in general. It aims to provide cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient electricity for the people. And as geothermal energy is renewable and sustainable, the people’s dependence on fossil fuels would be diminished.

·       Sentiment: This geothermal plant would actually cause more environmental damage. The people don’t want an ugly building in the middle of a protected area. It would disrupt the ecosystem and the rich biodiversity. Drilling done by geothermal plants cause earthquakes. They also release excess heat. It would dry up the lakes and pollute neighboring waters. Livelihood would be disrupted!

o   Fact: Geothermal plants (all over the world) require only small pieces of land (404 square meters per GWh, like a moderate-sized house), compared to coil and oil plants (3,632 square meters per GWh, like a mall).

o   The proposed Southern Bicol Geothermal Project would not be an exception. 404 square meters would be tiny. More importantly, SBGP exploration activities are to be done outside of the Bulusan Volcano National Park. The Park is not to be harmed.

o   While geothermal plants do release excess heat, this heat is directed upwards, as is common practice. Surrounding flora and fauna would not be scalded by steam.

Bird's eyeview of a sample Philippine geothermal plant, with the environment in healthy condition.
Taken at the Southern Negros Geothermal Project - Okoy Plant

It is also worth knowing that the possibility of Lakes Bulusan and Aguingay drying up due to any activity by a geothermal plant is highly unlikely, as there is no correlation between the two. Geothermal plants do not dry up lakes.

The Southern Bicol Geothermal Project is still in its exploratory stages, so if the authorities find that conditions for a geothermal plant in Bulusan are short of ideal, then the Department of Energy can call off the project.

While it is true that there are instances that geothermal drilling aggravates seismic activities, this cannot yet be confirmed for the proposed project site until exploratory work is finished. Again, it is important to note that while nothing has proven, everything remains as conjecture or guesswork.

That is exactly the main purpose of geothermal exploration – to find out if conditions are amenable to the establishment of a geothermal power plant. If they’re not, then, no geothermal plant will be developed in the prospective site.

As for other concerns regarding the safety and health of the environment, when geothermal steam is wet, the water particles also carry trace amounts of mercury, boron, arsenic, and antimony – and it is true that these are toxic.

However, once heat is extracted, waste steam is pumped back to earth from where it came from. No industrial waste needs to be dumped out.

Gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia are also carried with the steam. The geothermal plant does not produce them.  These gases all occur naturally within the earth.

At this point, the fact that technology is such a blessing to modern life comes in. That’s because modern technology sees to it that geothermal plants come equipped with emission-control systems for these gases, as will be the case for the Southern Bicol Geothermal Project, should the project proceed.

Lastly, livelihood will not be disrupted. On the contrary, the proposed project could even provide jobs to Bulusuenos.

Agriculture within the vicinity of the proposed Southern Bicol Geothermal Project would not be disturbed.

Southern Negros Geothermal Project Reforestation (Okoy)

In fact, contrary to a geothermal plants being hostile to the environment, such geothermal facilities are known for tree-planting or reforestation activities, which are clearly not only friendly to the environment, but supportive of maintaining ecological balance, as well.

To be more specific about it, a geothermal plant is not an enemy. In fact, what is more hazardous is living right next to an active volcano, compared to unfounded fears related to a geothermal plant that is still being proposed.

Whatever the topic under discussion may be, it is always important to keep an objective perspective, as free from biases as possible, in order to fully understand.

It is hoped that the clarifications presented here can help assuage the effects of raw assumptions and misinformation that are being circulated regarding the proposed geothermal exploration.

Whether the geothermal exploration would prove to be a success or not, would be too early to tell for now. But in the end, each and everyone should maintain a critical frame of mind that is geared towards deciding for the benefit of the majority.

Advocating Renewable Energy And A Sustainable Future

The Philippines – an archipelago of about 7,000 islands – is blessed with lush, tropical rainforests. Its waters teem with both marine and freshwater life.

The landscape is greatly varied, ranging from the high mountains to the lowlands and everything else in between. The same winds that bring the two faces of weather in the country are present all-year round. The country sits on its own tectonic plate (Philippine plate) and is subject to high volcanic and seismic activity, which makes it an ideal source of geothermal energy.

Thus, despite the apparent lack of oil, the Philippines has a lot more potential sources of energy: renewable ones.

The Philippine government is currently pushing for a more aggressive campaign to utilize the country’s potential for “renewables.”

This is embodied in Republic Act 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Energy Actof 2008. This basically lays out the foundation for different policies and goals to be undertaken by specific units.

To quote the Department of Energy, “[this] affirms the government’s commitment to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources. It also mandates the development of a ‘strategic program’ to increase its usage.” This led to the formulation of the National Renewable Energy Program or the NREP.

The NREP aims to increase the country’s renewable energy capacity from 5,400 MW (2010) to 15,304 MW by 2030. This is almost triple the currently installed renewable energy capacity.

These steps are designed for the nation’s progress. Energy security means that more people would be given better access to efficient energy distribution. No town would be left in the dark. Schools and hospitals would be able to provide better services for the people. Enough energy supplies would meet the people’s demands. In addition, power generated by renewable means will be designed to be competitively priced, if not cheaper than those coming from fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources would also provide the people with more elbow-room for fluctuations, or the sudden rises and dips in oil prices, a cycle that is heavily dictated on by the global market. If Filipinos depended less on oil, then their livelihood would not be affected by sudden surges in oil prices. This puts their future on a more stable and secure footing. Renewable energy can also be sustainable – they can come from native sources. As such, they have greater potential for reliability.

Affordable energy and clean energy do not need to be mutually exclusive. This can be accomplished by renewable means, rather than through the use of fossil fuels. Those who will benefit from a dramatic reduction in carbon footprint are the also the people themselves. Through renewable energy, the country can maintain its natural beauty.

But as it is, the research and technology for renewable energy in the Philippines is still in its infancy. The Philippines, as a democratic republic, needs the support and movement of its own citizens.

By and in itself, the NREP still has a long way to go.

Unless Filipinos openly provide their support, then clean, efficient, and affordable sources of energy would remain a distant dream.

Let’s all support plans and projects for renewable energy utilization. Wind, solar, hydro, geothermal plants and biofuel production, let’s all keep abreast of what they promise and find out how they can help our nation thrive/