Guillaume and the moose

Robotics are quickly becoming a normal part of our everyday life.

I had a recent discussion about robotics and new trends. It seems robots are more and more embebed in our environment and not sure we really are prepared to face these technologies.

First of all, what is a robot? It is a machine that can:

• sense the environment
• think about what to do
• execute an action in the real world

Example of existing and future robots:

• humanoïds robots
• automated cars
• consumers robotocs
• pets and toys
• smart environments

Recently a friend asked me about smart utilities and smart metering. There are so many articles and conferences about it that it can be interesting to go back to the roots to explain what it really is.

This is a definition I like  (from US Energy Independence act)

"Smart Grid is basically a transition from our current centralized, producer-controlled network to one that is less centralized and more consumer-interactive".

"It is the policy to support the modernization of the Nation's electricity transmission and distribution system to maintain a reliable and secure electricity infrastructure that can meet future demand growth".

These are two key elements :

• the customer's involvement
• reliability and maintainance of the network

Knowing that, it seems to me it is very important to take into acount how to educate the end-user : what is energy, what is consumption, what is comfort and how can an individual can be part of the system ?

It is not jsut about software, infrastructure and sensors. We need to integrat the all ecosystem, from end user to the power plant, but also appliances makers, home designers, archistects and sociologists as well.

Smart grid means also smart people, don't you think so ?

See more about the US energy independence act here

Customers engagement in the nuclear space: is a 2.0 approach a good solution ?

Nuclear industry faces great stakes. Public opinions are key and acceptance is now a critical point for any government to design a energy mix strategy.

In this "post Fukushima" context, communication and engagement with end customer is crucial.

This presentation I made explore some high level aspects of the subject and points out some tools to launch innovative strategies : can internet be a suitable media? Yes, it can help.

I was retently invited in a school in Wandsworth (London) to make a presentation about water. It is a bilingual class of Year 5. The conversation was in French.

What a huge suggest for kids of 9! I've tried to concentrate on the "big picture" : origin, usages.

Other issues such as drought and water pollution were also part of my presentation.

See my slides below. Happy to discuss.

Energy in 2050: trends, scenarios and ideas.

See below my recent presentation based on recent papers and article. Key things are :

Act on Both sides : supply and demand
Focus on sober homes and sober industries
Empower energy efficiency
Anticipate impacts of any policy or economic initiative on jobs, CO2 emissions, investment capabilities, balance of trade
Need for costs and prices transparency
Work at continent level (Europe)
Establish world standards for nuclear safety
Keep the doors opened and keep an eye on any trends and technologies. Meanwhile use current technologies to remain nimble + flexible to face demand.

The French environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) realesed few weeks ago a very interesting study aboutbiofuels.

The question is : do biofuels are REALLY a good idea to tackle the climate change and face agricultural stakes ?

The study on life cycle analysis (LCA) applied to first generation biofuels has two main outputs :

1. an update balances energy and emissions of greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels
2. gives an evaluation of three new indicators of impacts (eutrophication potential, photo-oxidation, human toxicity).

Note that methodological choices have been very important and strong hypothesis have been discussed.

The study will allow France and traders to dispose of items Assessment to implement the certification system for biofuels under the European Directive on the promotion of renewable energies, from December 2010.

Download the executive summary here http://bit.ly/bpV62w

Today, 18th of Octobre opens the tenth global biodiversity conference ata Nagoya (Japan). Representatives from governments around the world are meeting to agree how to tackle biodiversity loss, and to set biodiversity targets.

2010 is the international year of biodiversity. Did you know that ?

For those who are not experts, diplomats, enthomologists, etc. what does that mean ?

What can we do for biodiversity as an individual ?

Does it exist understandable, pragmatic and simple day to day actions to undertake now ?

Here are 9 things everyone of us can do to save biodiversity.

(Source: http://nagoya.direct.gov.uk)

1. Love the birds and the bugs : Put out food and water for garden birds. Let a bit of your garden grow wild and create your own wildlife haven Make or buy a bee box to help bees survive the winter
2. Be Plant Wise: Choose pond plants with care – some can take over the pond. When you are clearing out old pond plants remember to compost them carefully – some can harm native species if thrown into rivers or waterways
3. Shop and grow green. Use peat-free compost and green manures in your garden. Always buy fish or wood products from certified sustainable sources.
4. Get involved with nature. Volunteer to improve your local environment: it’s fun, healthy and free. Find your local volunteer group and see what you can do.
5. The Big Tidy Up :Help at a litter-pick event, or start your own litter collection group with family and friends.
6. Count the birds and bees. Take part in a wildlife survey or citizen science project, there are lots of different types to do all year round.
7. Explore the great outdoors. Enjoy the green spaces in your area; go for a walk in your local park or wood with friends and family, and see the best of autumn.
8. Protect endangered plants and animals. Don’t buy gifts or souvenirs made from animals or plants as they could be from an endangered species
9. Add your voice. Join or support an organisation working to protect wildlife and the natural environment by giving your time, or money to help their efforts.

More about 2010, year of biodiversity ? visit UN dedicated website:

http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

To know about locl events click here

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a study wich highlights these key figures about endangered species:

• 12% of the world’s 10 000 known bird species
• 23% of its 4 776 mammals, 
• 46% of its fish,
  
• 33% of all reptiles
• 70% of all known plants.
  

• Humankind is the cause of 99% of these threats.
  
• Endangered species, according to IUCN
  
•  24 endangered species in 1975,
• 1000 in 1985
  
• 16 306 in 2007.

What can YOU do about this ? Any ideas ?

More? Visit http://www.iucn.org/

What will life be like in the 2050s? How we will use and value water?

I recently read a very interesting study about water demand in the 2050s.

What interested me was the prospective approach, based on scenarios, mixing quantitative and qualitative hypothesis.

When thinking about the demand for water in the future we have to make assumptions about how people will live and work, the technology that will be available, how people will use their leisure time and how they’ll value the environment.

The study proposes four possible scenarios built around
two axes of uncertainty but extended out to the 2050s.

The simulation is based on 4 drivers :

• gouvernance : sustainability vs growth
• consumption patterns: dematerialised (services) vs products led consumption (resources)

Each scenario is supported by a narrative and a description of important areas such
as technology and the prevailing economic model. What interested me was the key issues ralated to social life and economic acceptance.

• societal inequality
• economic life increasingly challenging
• Protectionism
• quality of service provision

Read the full study here : http://bit.ly/gEdsUk

Have you ever heard about the OGALLALA aquifer ? Did you know it was one of the world's largest aquifers ?

The Ogallala Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. It covers an area of approximately 450,000 km² (France is 550,000 Km²). About 27 percent of the irrigated land in the United States overlies this aquifer system.

BUT THIS AQUIFER IS IN DANGER !

This underground water stock nearly equal to two of the Great Lakes doesn't guarantee America's High Plains will be able to fulfill the heavy demand of the region's agriculture.

Water, groundwater and irrigation : the big issue

Because of the Ogallala, the High Plains is the leading irrigation area in the Western Hemisphere. Center-pivot sprinklers are among the irrigation methods used in the High Plains. Large quantities of groundwater pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer allows these semi-arid western lands to yield abundant harvests. See picture here.

Research is needed to enhanced our understanding of the aquifer. That is why a team headed by Michigan State University researchers will spend the next four years modeling the Ogallala Aquifer to help conserve the nation's largest groundwater resource. The team won a $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant to develop a sustainability plan for the aquifer.

Irrigated crops from space : see the pivot effect on fields design. Click to enlarge.

Credit : NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS

More ?

• http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html
• read article : http://www.chicagotribune.com
• About the water circle : click here

Have you ever heard about the FRESCATI MANUAL ?

"This Manual was written in 2002 by and for the national experts in OECD member countries who collect and issue national R&D data and submit responses to OECD R&D surveys. Although many examples are given, the Manual remains a technical document which is mainly intended as a reference work."

It is a document setting forth for the methodology for collecting statistics about research and development. It  is very important for understanding the role of science and technology in economic development.

The definitions provided in this document serve as a common language for discussions of science and technology policy. It has become an acknowledged standard in R&D studies all over the world.

In this fast moving world and globalization, common terminology is a precious tool. In this guide, find usefull correspondances. Examples:

• Current classification of French, UK and US terminology about Research
• Terminology in common use in the defence and aerospace industries

What about other standards ? It is shown, for example, correspondence between Frascati Manual categories of R&D personnel by occupation and ISCO–88 classes

The full Frescati manual is Here

More on OECD website : www.oecd.org/

Electricity + Sustainability - CO2 = Nuclear power ?

Some experts say Electricity and nuclear power is an answer to major issues:

• tackle climate change and cut CO2 emissions
• respond to rising needs for electricity : new appliances, electric car
• face the peak oil problem
• face geopolitical issue linked to petrol

That is why we can notice a kind of "Nuclear power's comeback"

Today, there are 340 nuclear power plants in the world .Did you know that the 3 world leaders in nuclear power are:

• France: 30% of the installed base
• USA 16%
• Japan 10% 
• Today 30 other countries have power plants. More than 60 tomorrow.

"BRICS" need power to develop and many projects have been launched. Here are some new programmes already accepted (source world nuclear association):

• USA : 104 existing, 32 projects
• France: 58 existing, 3 projects
• UK: 19 existing, 13 projects
• Japan : 55 existing, 15 projects
• China : 13 existing, 182 projects !
• India: 19 existing, 64 projects
• Russia: 32 existing, 54 projects

Two trends for new nuclear plants:

1. more power
2. old plants retrofit

400 reactors are needed within 20 years ! (Today, only 4/year are built !)

The main obstacles could be :

• time to market - life cycle: it takes at least 10 years to design and build a new nuclear plant
• need of investment
• resource: uranium, plutonim
• actors: the nuclear industry is one of the most concentrated with very few huge actors : Areva, USEC,
• technological: 3rd or 4th generation ?
• competition with renewable (image, political, etc.) 
• Acceptability: what about the waste ? What about mines exploitation ?
• HR: techniciens and engineers needed.  For example, only 400 graduated in France every year. Not enough.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE TRENDS AND OBJECTIVES IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, GEOPOLITICS, ECOLOGY OR INVESTMENTS ?

More about electricity and nuclear ?

• Read International Energy Outlook 2010. Read here
• Key players :
  • www.usec.com
  • http://www.minatom.ru/en/
    
  • www.areva.com
  • www.urenco.com

This is the final part of a serie of presentations I made dedicated energy.

This one (part 3) describes stakes for each type of energy.

... did you know that biomass was one of the most important resource ?

Learn more with the presentation below ...

France has launched many Green Taxation policies in order to support economy and tackle climate change. But is it always good, in the long term? Not sure...

I have read a recent evaluation paper based on green taxation on old cars.

Since January 2008, less polluting cars benefit from a price reduction of up to 1,000 euros, while the most polluting ones are subject to a taxation of 2,600 euros. 

The author says "We show that if the shift towards classes benefiting from rebates is spectacular, the environmental impact of the policy is negative. The reform has notably increased sales, leading to an important increase in manufacturing and travelling emissions."

Conclusions:

• the impact of the policy is much disappointing.
• such policies should be designed with care to achieve their primary goal.

Read the full paper here: http://bit.ly/yUgRTq

(French version: http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/iana/iana3/iana3.pdf)

Talking about sustainability and adoptions of innovations is all about Behaviour.

DECC has recently published a very interesting paper about ‘Energy Behaviour’ and how this can be impacted by public policies.

There are different Theories of ‘Energy Behaviour’

1. Economic Theories: Energy is a commodity and consumers will adapt usage in response to price signals
2. Psychological Theories: Energy use can be affected by stimulus-response mechanisms and by engaging attention
3. Sociological Theories: Energy use is largely invisible, energy systems are complex, and daily practices are significant
4. Educational Theories: Energy use is a skill that is learned through experience in specific situations

These four types of theories highlight how energy behaviour can be seen through very different lenses

According to the report, 4 possible ways in which it might be helpful to discriminate between behaviours are:

• The actors of the relevant behaviour and target of any policies may range from single individuals, families and households, small social networks, wider communities and so on, up to whole sectors of society.
• The scopes of behaviour of concern might range from isolated behaviours, to behaviours which structure or circumscribe subsequent behaviours, to interrelated or co-dependent behaviours, and so on, up to lifestyles as regularised patterns of behaviour. Do the means towards emission-reduction ends entail meat-free Fridays, vegetarianism, low impact living, or complete self-sufficiency?
• The durability of the behaviour relates to whether it is a “one-off” behaviour (such as getting loft-insulation fitted), through to repeated behaviours that require sustained policy intervention (such as the need to keep financial measures e.g. a congestion charge in place), to behaviours with successively less required reinforcement (short-term provision of a free bus pass in the anticipation that a new habit may form), and so on, up to enduring behaviours (routinely turning off lights or appliances when not in use).
• The domains of relevant behaviour refers to where the core target of change is thought to reside. Is the intention to simply change the way someone thinks or makes decisions, how the physically carry out a task, what equipment or technology they use to do something. Do the changes in behaviour rely on changes to institutions or infrastructures, or at scales of social, national or global? For example, might the aim of a policy be positive attitude formation towards substitutes for air travel, improved infrastructure for long-distance trains, or much wider reassessment of fashionable clothing that would permit lower internal building temperatures.

The paper describes a number of approaches to understanding human behaviour and social practices, particularly in the context of activities that have significant environmental impacts and, especially in the context of energy usage.

None of these approaches alone can provide a full and complete account of how and why people act as they do. It is unlikely that they can do this even if used together.

The challenge for the policy-maker is to use these ideas, theories, and tools to understand the behaviours of concern, and to help develop and implement effective, efficient and legitimate policies to change the way people do things.

Examples and more details => read full report here