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International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey General Assembly Topic: Preventing a future energy crisis in the face of our changing climate Director: María Zambrano (MS), Juan Pablo de la Garza Evia (HS) Moderator: Isabel Cantú (MS), Montserrat Martínez del Campo (HS) I. Committee Background The General Assembly, along with the creation of the United Nations, was established after the atrocities that resulted from World War II. The first meeting was held in London in 1946, right after the conclusion of the war. The General Assembly is one of the UN’s main organs; it serves as a forum where all UN members assemble to discuss conflicting issues, mainly those regarding international peace and security. It can be said that the reason the UN was created was to serve as a background for the General Assembly. It also oversees the UN’s budget, the overall functioning of the organization, the admission of new member states, and amendments to the UN’s Charter (Bloom, Vriens, & Park, 2011). Currently, there are 193 members states in the General Assembly and each has a single, equally important vote. The sessions are held from September through December, but “special sessions” can be summoned if an emergency arises which requires them. In the regular sessions, member states strive to formulate resolutions that they then vote for. The more important questions require a ⅔majority for the resolution to pass, while the rest only require a simple majority. Unlike the Security Council, the General Assembly’s resolutions are not binding; they only serve as recommendations. The resolutions do not need approval from any other organ; however, the General Assembly does receive resolutions from subsidiary organs for them to take into consideration. This year they will meet for the 70th session (“General Assembly of the United Nations”, n.d.). II. Introduction and Description Description and Definition of the Topic An energy crisis is a worldwide concern which demands the use of limited natural resources for industrialization. As the demand rises, the resources diminish, therefore limiting the supply and use of it. The usage of natural resources is also limited because the process is naturally occurring, and takes up to hundreds of thousands of years to restore. Usage of renewable resources is a priority, and preserving these natural supplies is crucial. AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey The fact that the demand for energy is growing exponentially further increases the severity of the energy crisis. As population increases, the demand for fuels and all products do so as well. Therefore, the demand for any type of transport and trade causes a significant drain on our energy resource. Aging infrastructures are yet another reason for energy shortages, because of the outdated equipment utilized in the production of energy; it is crucial that these utilities remain updated. New material such as machinery has proven much more efficient in the storage of energy. In many parts of the world, the importance of the conservation of energy, as well as the correct way to use these utilities stands unknown. Countries then end up hampering the supply of energy, causing a global energy shortage. (“The Global Energy Crisis”, 2004) The Problem The energy crisis is a complex topic to address, as most of the world’s population lacks understanding of the problem or is unaware of the existence of this problem until the price of petrol rises and affects them directly. The reality of the issue is that sooner or later, non-renewable resources will run out. The waste of energy by an increasing world population is the main problem to be addressed. Many people around the globe don’t realize the importance of conserving energy. The energy crisis is the result of a strain of limited resources and overconsumption of fossil fuels that will make global temperatures rise and pollute other important humanitarian resources such as water and oxygen. When the waste of energy starts to limit energy sources, it is important to note the effects it can have on the world economy, as prices of fossil fuels and energy sources will rise and destabilize global payments, damaging financial systems. Limiting the interaction of important companies in the fossil fuel industry, which are major powers in the world's economy, can also cause significant problems across the globe. In addition, when energy sources rise in cost, a significant number of developing countries will be unwilling to invest in high oil prices that are crucial for their growth. A fundamental aspect of the energy crisis is the lack of scientific exploration and research regarding new or renewable energy options. Renewable energy options can help prevent the global temperature from rising, as well as diminishing our dependency on fossil fuels such as coal. Many countries today lack the investment on renewable energy research and exploration due to their constrained budgets, which they must prioritize towards other important internal issues. When moving from non-renewable fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, it is important to address the transition that will occur and how to smoothen out said transition around the world – especially in countries of low resources that will lack the technology and infrastructure. (“The Global Energy Crisis”, 2004; Pollack, 1974) AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey III. History of the Topic Chronological History of the Topic The disastrous effects of global warming can date back to the the year 2000 BCE when the Chinese first started using coal as an energy source. At this same time, Europeans developed water energy to power mills. During the first century, the Chinese were also the first to innovate and use oil as an energy source. Soon, coal started to replace other uses of energy such as wood, wind, and water due to its efficiency, afterwards reaching the United States in 1748. Due to the use of coal, unusual North Atlantic Oscillations began bringing warm weather around the globe. Around this time, CO2 levels were 290 ppm (parts per million). As unusual temperature started to appear, French polymath Jean-Baptize realized that an unusual atmospheric effect was causing the global temperature to rise. Baptize was the first to use the greenhouse analogy. This process would later provide an alternative to fossil fuel energy. As a result, William Robert Grove developed the first hydrogen fuel cell to generate electricity in 1838. Soon after, windmills started to become a popular water-pumping tool in the Western world; however it wasn’t until 1888 that the first windmill was used to generate electricity; the first solar power system was developed in France in 1860. It wasn’t until September of the year 1882 that the first electric and the first hydroelectric plants were established. The beginning of the twentieth century marked the commence of the modern oil industry when vast oil fields were found in Texas. During these times, alcohol fuel (Ethanol) was found to be an efficient fuel source that had advantages over petroleum fuels such as gasoline. Through these discoveries, Ford built the first flex fuel vehicle that ran on gasoline and ethanol fuel. Then, in 1939, Albert Einstein started investigating the possibility of using nuclear power as an energy source. Canadian physicist Gilbert Plass proposed the idea of using more CO2, this idea would warm the atmosphere, and consequently, keep on warming the planet. The alarming scientific claims caused the United States Federal Government to establish laws that controlled pollution emitted by oil industries. The global warming problem and disastrous global temperatures did not receive any world attention until the United States Santa Barbara oil spill that created a slick of over 800 miles in 1969. It was until the 1970’s that the global warming problem started to gain global awareness by scientists and governments due to the overconsumption of energy and the excessive production of fossil fuels. The Yom Kippur War in October of 1973, between the Arabs and Israeli, caused the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to declare an oil stoppage, cementing itself as the first energy crisis in the world. Einstein’s Nuclear discoveries eventually led to the first nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania in December 23, 1975; six years later the United States also began to operate the first solar power plant in California. AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, exploded, causing a nuclear disaster that devastated the region.. This disaster caused radiation to spread around a large area, with many of the disaster’s consequences still being handled today. The disastrous effects caused people to oppose the idea of using nuclear energy. By 1992 the CO2 levels were 356 ppm. In 1996, the solar plant established by the United States demonstrates the low cost method of storing energy. That same year, a hydrogen future act was passed to further expand hydrogen power development. A year after, EV1 electric cars were released to the public in order to create a fuel emission vehicle and the Kyoto Protocol was drafted. In the year 2003, United States President George W. Bush established the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to ‘promote Hydrogen fuel cell development as an alternative to fossil fuels’. The Kyoto Protocol was put into effect until 2005, the same year Greenland suffered a maximum ice sheet melt. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported in 2007 that climate change was mostly caused by humans, and in 2009, the United States started the first wind energy development in search for alternative energy sources; however a year later while digging for oil, the US caused the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (CO2Now, n.d.; “Timeline: Climate Change”, 2006) Historical Case Studies United States and Saudi Arabia During the early 1970s, the consumption of gasoline and products increased oil production worldwide, yet led to the declining and dependence on oil imports around the world. The supply, plus the increase in prices were mainly encouraged by the United States, despite the fact that the Arab oil exporters couldn’t afford the new resources to increase revenue. During the Arab-Israeli war, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel, and consequently, the United States joined forces to aid the Israeli. Therefore, three years later, facing the assumptions feared by many, an oil embargo imposed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) led to the shortage of fuel and the increase of prices. The reduction of this petroleum then lead to the embargo between the United States and Netherlands. Soon enough, the embargo and limitation of this oil production sparked the beginning of the international energy crisis. (“Energy Crisis 1970s”, 2010) South Africa In the midst of summer 2007, the energy supply in South Africa began increasing and the disruption of energy levels from 2007 towards 2008 began changing exponentially. It’s main company, Eskom, lacked the capacity to meet the demands requested by its customers; therefore, the supply and demand corrupted the whole energy system. Soon after, the company AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey had to shut down in certain areas, reducing supply at an alarming rate, which rendered a shortage of energy. Due to high breakdown of equipment and the maximum capacity of plant usage, the public demand failed to be met. Moreover, the generating capacity of coal-powered stations decreased by over ninety percent, giving yet another reason for the energy crisis to endure in South Africa. Short-term solutions for the purchase of these energy supplies were set in the company to happen that same winter, but once again failed. The unplanned outages due to this shortage of equipment and lack of plant space then led this issue to persist to date in this region of Africa. (“Energy Crisis - The case for South Africa”, n.d.) Pakistan In the 1990’s, after the effect of the 1970’s energy crisis, the mismanagement of the Mangla and Tarbela dams led to a short-lived energy crisis in the Middle East. Although it occurred during a strong economic period, the demand rose and the supply could not keep up. The government was therefore unable to satisfy and collaborate with consumers and by consequence worsened the issue. Electricity shortfalls then reached a peak that was never reached before and the supply and demand in Pakistan was never the same. By 2010, the demand increased by a shocking 40%. (Kugelman, 2013) Past UN Actions During the late 1970’s people began to question the use of energy resources around the world. The United Nation’s involvement in the topic has been significant. The United Nations has its own committee, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), focused on working to reduce the disasters of climate change and fossil fuel emissions, or those that could arise from the continued developments of these. After the recuperation of the war, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held a meeting in 2002 in which the access of energy and energy security was discussed. Furthermore, the United Nations created the UN-Energy interagency collaboration to ensure coherence with the control of these resources. The main focus would be the growth on investments, plus the growth and regulation of energy to control it coherently and consistently – having an increase in the sharing of information plus the facilitation of the development of stakeholders for sustainable development. In the search for solutions and the reduction of CO2 emissions, the United Nations Secretary General has started a carbon pricing panel which consists on putting a price on carbon that eventually lowers the carbon growth and reduces greenhouse effects. As well, the United Nations has created ‘Climate Friendly’ policies that should be enforced around the world. Numerous drafts and conferences such as the the Kyoto Protocol and the Universal Climate Change Agreement have been created by the United Nations AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey with the goal of controlling country's fossil fuel emissions and reducing the possibility of climate change disasters. Other than conferencing and working on the table, the United Nations has allied with mobile film companies to encourage filmmakers to produce films that encourage viewers to act on climate change. Contests dedicated to finding solutions to climate change are also being orchestrated by the United Nations in order to encourage citizens of the world to act towards solving the problem. When the disastrous effects of climate change, such as tsunamis and hurricanes, hit countries worldwide, the United Nations contributes to the cause by providing food, shelter, and protection for those affected. In order to be quick and effective, the United Nations is intent on tackling and solving every single aspect of this issue. (UN-Energy, n.d.) IV. Key Players and Points of View Elon Musk Finding ways to smoothly transition from the two different types of energy has been tough, but not for Elon Musk. He is a renowned billionaire who has made it his life’s goal to help this planet. Throughout his life, he has created many companies such as TESLA, SolarCity, and SpaceX.. The first two are the most important to this topic, seeing as they have drastically helped the transition into renewable energy. TESLA, an electric car company, has designed automobiles that are much less harmful to the planet – even less than hybrid cars. They are thought to be the future of automobiles around the world. Additionally, SolarCity is his greatest achievement; it is a company that installs solar panels on people’s roofs for free. They gai n money by working as developers for new projects, and being financed by other companies that want to implement their designs, charging a “developer fee”. This is a formidable business, and not only is it successful economically, but it is also helping the world. (“Two views”, 2013) Predominant View This point of view is the idealized one by any economist. It states that the world economy will continue to grow and that jobs will be available for most people. People will be motivated by the possibility of vast wealth and will live happy lives. The only problem these people will face, is the future increase in pollution and climate change. People will try to reduce this by having less children, therefore creating a more sustainable society. Yet this idealized point of view is not likely in our society. Therefore, it is important to take into account a second perspective. (“Two views”, 2013) Alternate View AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey The world largely depends on oil. It is the most important part of the economy and is also a resource that is steadily declining. It is declining because of its scarcity and the cost of its extraction. Prior to the 2000s, there was a large gap between the cost of extraction and the selling cost, making oil extraction a very profitable business. But this has changed; it is now much more expensive to extract oil and prices have drastically decreased. It is estimated that it may soon not be of interest to extract oil because businesses would be losing money. Joseph Tainter, a renowned oil expert, theorized that if this were to occur, businesses would have no option than to increase the price of oil and therefore create an economic decline. It is clear that this stipulation is far more likely than the previous, which is why a transition to renewable energy and/or better efficiency in infrastructure is vital. (“Two views”, 2013) V. Possible Solutions Finding a solution to this complex problem is tough and requires not only significant efforts, but many years as well. The key to preventing an imminent energy crisis is by smoothly transitioning from non-renewable energy to renewable energy. This is the best chance at avoiding a world economic depression that may occur with the elimination of gas and oil from the market. The first step towards solving this problem is raising awareness. Few people know about the shortage of non-renewable energy supplies until it directly affects them. Raising awareness will not only incite people reduce their current energy usage but may prompt people to act and actively find solutions towards this issue. Second, companies should smoothly transition to use renewable resources. Efforts towards this can already be seen with an increase in electric and hybrid cars, wind and water turbines, solar panels, and LED lights. Studies have shown that these four more efficient solutions vastly reduce the amount of energy consumption. But more has to be done. Quickly, yet carefully transitioning towards renewable resources is key. Another method can be through the improvement of infrastructures of energy producing companies (improving all infrastructures would be ideal, yet is too costly). It is therefore of utmost importance to upgrade current energy extractors, transporters technology and tools to drastically reduce the amount of energy lost. This can also be implemented in everyday households with the change of traditional light bulbs to LED lights or the implementation of solar panels on roofs. Finally, a broad stance on climate change needs to be taken. Countries should “adopt a common stand on climate change” in order to seek to cut their current energy consumption by half by the year 2050. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is vital, which would drastically reduce the consequences of climate change. Countries can motivate their companies, AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey industrialization plants and households to reduce energy consumption. It is a simple solution that will make the most difference. (“Causes and Solutions”, 2014) VI. Current Status Today, billions of people have the privilege of having easy access to electricity and seemingly boundless energy, however, at the same time, there are others around the globe who lack access to this vital resource. Throughout the past years, the world has faced both environmental and economic problems due to the waste and overconsumption of energy. Around the globe, countries struggle to find solutions towards energy consumption and control. Economically stable countries show high energy waste and consumption, while developing countries fight to provide energy to the nation. Recently, the world faced the hottest year ever recorded in 2014, and research predicts that even hotter years are yet to come. Even though not all the people around the world have the privilege to use and consume energy, the world is facing an energy crisis that will be the cause of multiple and severe economic global hardships. India 300 million of India’s 1.25 billion people currently live without electricity, and another quarter-billion live from the country’s decrepit grid with a maximum of four hours of electricity a day. The lack of power in India is affecting both rural and urban areas, limiting citizens and the country itself from advancing. The attempt to administrate electricity has been pledged by prime Minister Narendra Modi for more than two years now and the increase of renewable energy capacity has been set in the country. India as the world’s third largest greenhouse gases emitter, is attempting to build a modern industrialized economy and trying to bring power to its entire population. Attempts as such are keeping up with the demands for electricity but drawing attention to utility sectors in which electricity has been lost exponentially for the past three years, leading India to an accumulated debt of 70 billion dollars, leaving 600 million people in the dark. (Martin, 2015) South Africa For the past few years, South Africa’s electrical supply commission, Eskom, has had to implement load shedding and electricity cuts all around the country. In order to reduce the consumption during periods of shortage supply, the government took action and involved it’s own vice president to collaborate with the company directly. Alongside plans for Ghana, the government invested a 5 point plan to improve the power stations overall. Although South AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey Africa’s position is tough, the willingness of the people and the government to invest in over 200,000 rooftop solar panels and generate more energy has helped incredibly. (Hogg, 2015) Egypt Over the last few decades, Egypt has faced around six power cuts a day for up to two hours at a time in which the country has fallen into blackouts. These blackouts only lead to frustration and a downturn in production because of the disruption of a daily life. Analysts have predicted that the shortage of electricity is also due to terrorist attacks on energy infrastructures. The control of supply has led Egypt to these cuts and blackouts. Due to the former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, reserves from gas fields and mines have been exported at marked down prices and lost notoriously, leading the government to owe debts all around the whole country. (Kingsley, 2014) VII. Bibliography Browne, J. (2009). Proposal - The Energy Crisis and Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.global-economic-symposium.org/knowledgebase/the-global-environment/t he-energy-crisis-and-climate-change/proposals/the-energy-crisis-and-climate-change Causes and Solutions to the Global Energy Crisis. (2014, October 5). Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-solutions-to-the-global-energy-cris is.php CO2 Now. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://co2now.org/know-co2/the-need-to-know-co2/global-warming-chronology.html Energy Crisis (1970s). (2010). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/energy-crisis Energy Crisis - The Case of South Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://economie.rabobank.com/PageFiles/3576/Energy%20crisis_tcm64-75053%5B1 %5D.pdf Hogg, C. (2015, May 18). Energy Crisis in South Africa. Retrieved from http://impakter.com/energy-crisis-south-africa/ Kingsley, P. (2014, August 20). Egypt suffers regular blackouts due to worst energy crisis in decades. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/20/egypt-blackouts-energy-crisis-power -cuts Kugelman, M. (2013, March 13). Pakistan's Energy Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=323 AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey Martin, R. (2015, October 7). India Tries to Electrify without Creating an Emissions Disaster. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/542091/indias-energy-crisis/ Pollack, G. (1974, April 1). The Year of Economics: The Economic Consequences of the Energy Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/1974-04-01/year-economics-economic-conseq uences-energy-crisis Solving the world’s energy crisis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rit.edu/showcase/index.php?id=36 The Global Energy Crisis. (2004, May 12). Retrieved from http://planetforlife.com Timeline: Climate Change. (2006, September 4). Retrieved from https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9912-timeline-climate-change/ Two Views of our Current Economic and Energy Crisis. (2013, October 14). Retrieved from http://ourfiniteworld.com/2013/10/14/two-views-of-our-current-economic-and-energycrisis/ UN-Energy Knowledge Network. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.un-energy.org/about/overview AVE. MORONES PRIETO 1500 • SANTA CATARINA, N.L. MÉXICO 66190 TELEPHONE: (81) 82884400 • FAX: (81) 82884455 www.immuns.org