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Trump's environmental deregulation (and how Biden wants to reverse it) 

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Trump's environmental deregulation (and how Biden wants to reverse it) 

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Joe Biden's pledges of strong action on the climate crisis have buoyed international hopes that 2021 can be a breakthrough year, resetting the world on a greener path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate experts cheered the inauguration of the new US president, who has vowed to rejoin the Paris agreement, rethink US reliance on fossil fuels, and devote hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus spending to low-carbon economic growth.

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and chair of the Elders group of former world leaders, told the Guardian: "Joe Biden's presidency offers the chance for a global reset, and his anticipated executive order to rejoin the Paris agreement is an excellent step in the right direction. We are also expecting to see similar commitments to international cooperation on the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and future pandemics. I welcome the fact that we will now see sustained US support for multilateralism, underwritten by a solid commitment to universal human rights."

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, the world's foremost energy economist, urged Biden to kickstart the US capacity for innovation to solve the climate crisis. "About half of the emissions cuts needed to put the world on a path to net zero by 2050 will need to come from technologies that are not on the market yet," he explained. "Innovation is extremely critical. The US can be a leader in innovation, and has a major opportunity - and responsibility - to push for clean technology innovation."

Biden had made his commitment to climate action "clear and strong", said Nicholas Stern, the renowned climate economist, giving hope that the world's biggest economy could lead a global green recovery from the pandemic. "[Climate action] is at the heart of his strategy for investment, infrastructure and recovery in the US," said Stern. "His arrival in the White House is splendid news for the future of lives and livelihoods on the planet."

This year will be crucial in resetting the global trajectory on greenhouse gas emissions, as the world deals with the coronavirus crisis. Despite a sharp plunge in carbon output last spring as lockdowns took hold in many regions, emissions have resumed their upward march, and experts have warned they may even accelerate if the wrong decisions are made on restarting the global economy.

An analysis last November for the Guardian found that if Biden's plans were implemented in full, the prospects for a global green recovery from the pandemic would be transformed. At present, governments - including the US under Donald Trump - are failing, with a few exceptions, to ensure that stimulus spending benefits low-carbon industries, and instead are cementing higher emissions by pouring money into fossil fuels.

Biden's plans may not pass through Congress unscathed, given the Democrats' slender Senate majority, but even partial success could rescue the global green recovery.

Biden has spoken repeatedly of the need for healing divisions and fostering unity, and Lord Stern said a focus on the environment could be a unifying force across the world, galvanising nations with a common purpose. "In a world of fractured politics, action on climate can now draw nations and peoples together, and we have a chance of both managing the immense risk of climate change and finding a new sustainable, inclusive and resilient path to development and growth," he said.

US political leadership could also prove decisive as world governments meet this November for the postponed UN climate summit, Cop26, in Glasgow. The UK hosts of the summit hope to steer all leading economies to a long-term pledge of reaching net zero emissions around mid-century, and to bring forward national plans setting out emissions reductions in the next decade.

At a Climate Ambition Summit hosted by the UK, the UN and France last December, intended as a staging post to Cop26, the US was not represented among the 80 world leaders taking part, as Trump refused to make any commitments on emissions and instead tried to roll back many US carbon-cutting efforts. Biden, by contrast, plans to host his own major summit, to take place this spring, in the run-up to Cop26.

Developing countries will also look to the US to help direct the tens of billions in additional investment needed every year for the poor world to cut emissions and cope with the impacts of the climate crisis.

Dipti Bhatnagar, international programme coordinator for climate justice and energy at Friends of the Earth International, said: "The US's refusal to accept and address the high level of responsibility it bears for the climate crisis, and encouragement of high-carbon lifestyles, has resulted in untold suffering for women, men and children throughout the developing world. Droughts are destroying crops, cyclones are levelling homes, and whole nations are literally disappearing.

"The livelihoods and dignity of billions of people who didn't create the climate crisis require the Biden administration to take immediate and far-reaching climate action driven by justice, equity and science."

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Biden raises hopes of addressing climate crisis as Cop26 nears

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Joe Biden's pledges of strong action on the climate crisis have buoyed international hopes that 2021 can be a breakthrough year, resetting the world on a greener path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

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Study: Poorer Indian households are bearing the brunt of global pollution

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Poorer households in India are bearing a disproportional impact from pollution caused by others, results in a study by Yale School of the Environment found.

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As 2018 ended, it's the time where it can be analyzed the status of both the oil and gas sector as well as the chemicals sector. The oil and gas sector recovered, especially the oil markets from the depths of the post 2014 downturn. Since 2016, oil prices have recovered from $40, reaching $67 in Sep, 2018.

The recovery happened due to several factors. One of them is the success of the production restraint agreement between OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-OPEC countries, which is in force since the beginning of first half of 2017. Other factors that influenced the recovery of the oil and gas markets are the less oil coming to the market from challenged producers and the ongoing global demand growth estimated by the EIA.

EIA stands for Energy Information Administration, and the global demand growth for 2018 was estimated at 1.6 million b/d.

Oil and Gas Industry in 2019

In the latest Deloitte annual survey, they asked oil, gas and chemicals executives the following question:

As we move into 2019, what should we watch for? Does the recovery in oil markets have legs, or are emerging risks coming into play?

The questions resulted with a confidence in recovery, which results with high expectations for increased economic growth, commodity prices and investments overall. This is supported by the increase in energy demand above the average levels, as the US and global economy continue to display strong growth rate.

Below we can elaborate in more details the top 10 trends in the Oil and Gas Industry, presented by GlobalData researchers.

Oil and Gas Industry Trends in 2019

The top oil and gas industry trends of 2019, were identified by GlobalData researchers, and in their research they use data on online engagement, the number of mentions on Twitter, and different expert analysis.

The main trend in the Oil and Gas Industry to watch for in 2019, is the Oil and Gas supply. There are several problems, that will influence the Oil and Gas supply such as, the problems with Venezuela and Iran, as well as Qatar's exit from OPEC.

The second trend to watch for is the Energy Outlook. In the past couple of years, the input of gas influencers online, industry whitepapers and journalism give a better and more realistic, expert overview of what is happening and future expectations in this sector.

Energy policies are the third trend listed in the GlobalData research, which includes the decisions, from the US Department of Energy and by other organizations as well. What will influence the oil production in 2019, is the rise of the federal oversight regarding the methane and wastewater, and the return of more autonomy to Oil-production parts in the United States. What can make the situation unpredictable, are the changes to the ranks of OPEC, especially in the part of how the countries manage their energy policies, as well as the political situation in the UK that can affect the policies related with the North Sea oil exploration and nuclear energy in Scotland.

Many are anticipating the Natural Gas supply to be at the forefront and expecting that in 2019, the global LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) supply will outstrip demand, for few reasons. One is the development in China, of their own Natural Gas Infrastructure and the investments in LNG imports.

Next comes, the output of OPEC as a trend. As it has been stated in the beginning of this article, the OPEC has committed to pulling oil from the market. The reduction in oil production, still doesn't scare many experts in the industry.

Other identified top trends are related with the Oil Price, Fracking, Oil Demand and inventories of oil, natural gas and goal. You can read more for these trends on the link.

Oil and Gas Supply Chain

The oil and gas global supply-chain includes activities such as domestic and international transportation, ordering and inventory visibility and control, materials handling, import/export facilitation and information technology.

Every Supply Chain in large industries involves configuration, management and continuous improvement of sequential set of operations that includes multiple parties. The goal in Supply Chain Management (SCM) is to deliver maximum service to the customer at the lowest cost possible.

The Oil and Gas Supply Chain can be analyzed through three different industry sectors:
Oil & Gas Sectors. Image map created with iMindQ
Upstream vs Midstream vs Downstream sector

When somebody wants to describe where a company or a service is in the Oil and Gas Supply chain, they usually use the generic business terms "Upstream" and "Downstream". As companies or services get closer to servicing the end user, the more downstream they are located in the supply chain.

Each of these sectors have their own characteristics which will be elaborated in more details, further on in this article.

The upstream sector is also known as the E&P (Exploration and Production) sector. It is consisted of processes and operations that involve searching for potential underground or underwater crude oil and natural gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently drilling and operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil and/or raw natural gas to the surface. In recent years, there is an evident shift towards the inclusion of unconventional gas as part of the Upstream sector. This also affects the developments in processing and transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

The midstream sector is usually combined in the literature with the downstream sector. This segment in the supply chain, involves the transportation, storage and marketing of various oil and gas products. Transportation options can vary from small connector pipelines to massive cargo ships making trans-ocean crossings, depending on the commodity and distance covered.

When we are discussing the transportation of oil and natural gas, most oil can be transported in the current state, while the natural gas must be liquefied or compressed.

When it comes to the downstream sector, it encompasses the refining, processing, distillation and purification before turning it into usable, sell-able and consumable products e.g. fuels, raw chemicals and finished products etc. All the afore-mentioned services transform crude oil into usable products such as gasoline, fuel oils, and petroleum-based products. Retail marketing activities help move the finished products from energy companies to retailers or end users.

Upstream Oil and Gas Sector

"The Upstream sector is the part of the oil and natural gas industry that is responsible for finding crude oil and natural gas deposits, along with producing them. It is also known as the exploration and production or E&P sector. This part of the petroleum industry includes all activities that happen out in the field including drilling wells, trucking supplies, and mining oil sands, as well as activities that involve different environmental studies and research analysis.

Upstream Sector Characteristics

This segment of the oil and gas supply chain focuses and operates around the wells, meaning it cares about where to locate them, how deep and far to drill the wells, how to design, construct, and manage them.

The four major business characteristics that describe the upstream segment are as follows:

Carries high risk

Gives high return

Highly regulated, it is affected by global politics

Very technology and capital-intensive

The regulation of this segment, refers to the production, access to reserves, pricing & taxation, and more strict environmental regulations.

It is very typical for the upstream activities to take very long time, and require a lot of investments, especially in the initial, exploration phase.

The different sectors within the upstream segment include:

Offshore drilling

Oil sands mining

Supply and service

Manufacturing

Seismic surveys

Geological surveys

Reclamation

Exploration, (Drilling) and Production (E&P)

The exploration phase first starts with activities of the operator to obtain a lease and permission to explore, from the owner of onshore or offshore acreage that might contain oil or gas.

This also includes activities of collecting geological, geophysical and geochemical material as well as different descriptions and maps of old mineral localities. Geologists and geophysicists play a major role in this phase, because they use different methods and techniques, such as seismic surveys, satellite images, magnetometers, air guns, explosives and seismometers, in order to assess the presence of hydrocarbons or minerals.

When the potential site is confirmed, the drilling of an exploratory well begins, process that is also known as drilling wild cat. These activities need to check the physical presence of reserves, so it can decided if additional exploratory wells should be drilled in close location. This way the scientists can confirm and evaluate the entire potential of the reservoir.

Production phase includes extraction of the hydrocarbons, separating the mixture of liquid hydrocarbons, gas, water, and solids, and removing of constituents that cannot be sold. The sites used for production can often handle crude oil from more than one well.

After production, an additional phase appears called abandonment, which happens when a well lacks the potential to produce economic quantities of oil or gas, or when a production well is no longer economically viable.

Upstream Sector Companies List and Categorization

There are four major groups of companies that can be identified in the upstream sector of the oil and gas supply chain:

Majors, also known as Major or Integrated Oil companies, such as ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron and Shell. These companies can also have integrated activities down the supply chain as well.

NOC's (National Oil companies) who are owned and managed by governments,

Independents - these companies exist in each segment, the independence comes from not being integrated into other segments.

Oilfield services companies - These companies offer services, equipment and different technical skills related with exploring, drilling, testing, and producing oil and gas.

Midstream Oil and Gas Sector

Midstream segment in the oil and gas supply chain, includes operations that connect the upstream and downstream participants and companies. Four major groups of services are characteristic for the midstream segment are:

The more detailed services that fall within the midstream sector can be seen in this list:

Diversified Midstream Pipeline and Storage

Crude Oil and Refined Products Pipeline and Storage of Excess

Marine Shipping and Transportation

Natural Gas Gathering and Processing

Natural Gas Pipeline and Storage

Oil Field Services

The midstream segment is known for its low capital risk, and it can be highly regulated, especially when it comes to pipeline components. Other important things to know is that midstream asset investments are dependent on the health of the upstream; and oil and gas prices affect the demand from the downstream participants.

The high regulation mostly refers to interstate pipeline transmission and cross-border transportation. In the United States this is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Midstream Main Functions

Gathering, Processing and Transportation

First step in the midstream sector is gathering oil and gas that is produced in the upstream sector. Oil is moved through a web of pipeline, with a small diameter, directly to a central location. When it comes to gathering natural gas, the process is a little bit different, meaning the gas cannot be stored at or near the well and for that reason needs to be purified and processed to remove the water and other impurities. Once the NGL's are separated, then they can be sent through large diameter pipelines.

Next comes the field processing, as the first phase of oil and gas processing starting in the onshore or offshore production field.

During field processing, surface units need to be installed. These facilities should do the following activities:

Measure the production rate of the oil, gas and water that is produced from the reservoir

Separate the oil, gas and water from one another

Remove impurities to prepare the crude or gas for sale or the next process

Store the Crude or gas temporarily, long enough until is ready to be moved to the next process

The above described process is known as fractionation. Fractionation by definition is the separation or removal process in which certain quantity of a mixture (gas, solid, liquid, enzymes, suspension or isotope) into a smaller quantities, called fractions, in which the composition varies.

The separated NGL's (natural gas liquids) can be blend components in a refinery and used as fuel or feedstock in the manufacture of petrochemicals.

The treated oil and gas, after the fractionation process, should be transported through a complex network of transportation and distribution infrastructure either for storage or further processing.

When it comes to transporting crude oil, the most used and safest method is pipeline transportation. More flexible way of shipping crude oil is truck and rail, in terms of timing and close alternative locations.

For transporting natural gas, the most used method are large diameter pipelines, because natural gas flows at a much higher pressure than crude oil. LNG is natural gas that has been changed to a liquid form, so it can easier to transport it or store it.

After transportation, comes the storage as a step in the midstream activities. Storing crude oil and refined products is very different from the methods used to store natural gas.

Storing natural gas, is very demanding due to high pressure of the natural gas and for that reason is kept underground, until it is ready to be delivered to market. Common storage facilities are salt caverns, depleted gas reservoirs, and aquifers.

Crude oil and other refined products are stored using the following methods:

Field tank batteries

Product Bulk terminals

Refinery and holding tanks.

Midstream Companies List - Key Players

In the 1980s, MLP started to form in the United States, known as Midstream Limited Partnerships. These companies, as you can see below are not the large oil companies. These companies provide specific service, and the service range of the companies can vary within the list below:

Barge companies

Railroad companies

Trucking and hauling companies

Pipeline transport companies

Logistics and technology companies

Transloading companies

Terminal developers and operators

These are the top 10 midstream companies in 2018:

OAO Transneft

Enterprise Products Partners

Plains All American

TransCanada

Kinder Morgan

Spectra Energy

Upltrapar Holdings

Enbridge

Oneok Partners

Energy Transfer Equity

Downstream Oil and Gas Sector

The downstream sector is the last one in the oil and gas supply chain, and encapsulates the operations that take place after the production phase right to the point of sale to the end consumers. Here are included the processes of refining crude oil and distributing its byproducts (gasoline, NGL's, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil etc.) up to the retail level and selling to end consumers.

Other products which are not that familiar are lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers and pesticides. These products are called petrochemicals. The downstream sector has important role in the pharmaceutical, packaging and manufacturing industries.

Downstream Sector Characteristics

The main business characteristics about the downstream sector is that it is margin business, which has high complexity, companies should always have the global perspective in mind and it includes working with marketing and delivery of final products to retailers and end users.

When discussing about the downstream being a margin business, it defines the margin as the difference between the price of the products from the crude oil and the cost of the crude oil that is delivered to a refinery.

The complexity of this chain segments is due to the inclusion of different range of activities such as refining, petrochemicals, distribution, wholesale and retail marketing.

Key downstream sectors include:

Oil Refining,

Supply and Trading,

Product Marketing - Wholesale and Retail

Key Downstream Players

There are two type of companies that compete in the downstream sector, known as integrated companies and independents. The companies that are called integrated, are known for having business operations not only in one specific sector, but are present in both upstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas supply chain.

One of the top integrated oil companies in the downstream sector are: Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, and Total.

There are also companies called independents, due to the fact that they don't have upstream, E&P operations. These independents, are independent refiners which can have different range of service activities and stations to market their products.

Famous independent downstream companies are: Andeavor (formerly Tesoro), Valero Energy Corporation, Sunoco etc.

Refining, End user consumption and Wholesale and Retail Marketing

Refining represents the processes that enable crude oil compounds, called hydrocarbons, to be broken down and separated as byproducts, with the use of heat and pressure. The byproducts or final petroleum products that have resulted from the refining process can be categorized in three major categories: Light, medium and heavy.

The light group of the chemicals, are the first ones that evaporate and usually are lately processed into liquid petroleum or naphtha. Hydrocarbons from the middle category, also known as middle distillates-produce jet fuel and kerosene while the heaviest group of hydrocarbons, form residual fuel oil.

Gasoline is the most, globally-used product of crude oil. Other widely-known fuel products that consist for more than 60% of the global demand, are the following products: diesel, jet oil and marine fuel oil.

Also other type of products, for example lubricants and waxes, are important and used in other industries such as medicine and cosmetics.

The marketing activities in the downstream segment refer to the processes of promoting, searching and supplying customers who have internal demand for refined fuel products or who have large wholesale networks that can distribute the different product to variety of retailers.

Article by Mirjana Davcheva

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As 2018 ended, it's the time where it can be analyzed the status of both the oil and gas sector as well as the chemicals sector. The oil and gas sector recovered, especially the oil markets from the depths of the post 2014 downturn.

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The plastic waste crisis is a symptom of our single-use approach to products and to solve it we need a new approach - the circular economy.

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The Government: Brazil and the Amazon Rainforest

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The Government: Brazil and the Amazon Rainforest

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The destruction of the Amazon, explained

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We heard a lot last year about how the lungs of the Earth, the Amazon, was burning. We saw devastating fires and smoke from satellite images. It is difficult to imagine how this could have been intentionally allowed, rather than being just an awful accident. If we look more closely at why it happened though, we see that there are some powerful motivations that stand in contrast to what we think should have been an easy choice for the environment.

A big part of why the Amazon fires were allowed to get that big was the lack of regulation and control by the government, but by choice. Motivated by economic development and a vast trove of natural resources, Jair Bolsonaro’s government believes that the Amazon is a resource that is there to be tapped for the good of his country.

How this was done:

•Built the Trans-Amazonian Highway in the dense Amazon rainforest, pushed people who had been only populating the coastal cities to settle in the Amazon, promising wealth and livelihoods in new cities that were fuelled by the bounty of natural resources. Vibrant cities (like Manaus) sprung up along the highway, farmers tilled the land and huge corporations moved in.

•This proved fertile ground (pun intended) for the growth of the country’s cattle ranching and soybean agriculture industries.

Unfortunately, this was not such good news for the environment

•The cattle sector of the Brazilian Amazon, incentivized by the international beef and leather trades, has been responsible for about 80% of all deforestation in the region,[2][3] or about 14% of the world's total annual deforestation, making it the world's largest single driver of deforestation.

•Much of the remaining deforestation within the Amazon has resulted from farmers clearing land (sometimes using the slash-and-burn method) for small-scale subsistence agriculture[7] or mechanized cropland producing soy, palm, and other crops.

This development also pushed out indigenous communities who had long called the Amazon home.

•More than one-third of the Amazon forest belongs to more than 3,344 formally acknowledged indigenous territories. Until 2015, only 8% of Amazonian deforestation occurred in forests inhabited by indigenous peoples, while 88% of occurred in the less than 50% of the Amazon area that is neither indigenous territory nor protected area. Historically, the livelihoods of indigenous Amazonian peoples have depended on the forest for food, shelter, water, fibre, fuel and medicines. The forest is also interconnected with their identity and cosmology. For this reason the deforestation rates are lower in indigenous territories, despite pressures encouraging deforestation being stronger.

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When presented with vast, untapped natural resources like Brazil does, countries often face a dilemma – pursue economic development to better the lives of its people, or protect the environment.

• What is the line between utilization and exploitation? Are the gains worth the costs?

• Does the developed world have the right to censure the developing world for making these choices?

• Consider whether it is possible to achieve both- pursuing economic development to better the lives of its people AND protect the environment? (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

• Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

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The United States is widely regarded as the foremost superpower of the world, leading the charge in democracy, freedom and progress. Naturally, we would expect the US to be leaders in protecting the environment. However, the Trump administration often bewildered many people and came under fire for rolling back environmental protections and prioritization of economic growth instead.

They:

•Prioritized economic and energy output

•And therefore scrapped environmental regulations and increased fossil fuel usage

•They pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord, becoming the only nation not to be a part of it

•And they stated that they do not believe that CO2 is a major contributor to global warming, or that it is even happening in the first place.

In his 4 year term, Trump oversaw the rolling back of more than 100 environmental regulations (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html), including allowing the drilling of oil in wildlife refuges, removing pollution controls on streams and wetlands.

President Biden’s announcement (just hours after being inaugurated) that the US would be rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement brought a wave of hope to those who are hopeful for more American leadership on climate issues. It is also significant because it highlights just how much domestic political considerations can steer these big international decisions.

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Background:
Significant form of air pollution that plagues the developing world

•Causes – Dependence on biomass (wood, charcoal, dung and crop residue) as cooking fuel and lack of ventilation

•Environmental impacts – release of toxic particulate matter

•Health impacts – 4.3 million deaths globally attributed to exposure to IAP in developing countries in 2012

However, not all of individual consumption is the result of selfish and unthinking attitudes. In some cases, the environmental problems caused by individuals trying to fulfil their needs and wants is borne out of necessity and lack of access to resources. A case in point is the problem of household/indoor air pollution.

Indoor air pollution in developing nations is a significant form of indoor air pollution (IAP) that is little known to those in the developed world.

Three billion people in developing countries across the globe rely on biomass, in the form of wood, charcoal, dung, and crop residue, as their domestic cooking fuel. Because much of the cooking is carried out indoors in environments that lack proper ventilation, millions of people, primarily poor women and children face serious health risks. Globally, 4.3 million deaths were attributed to exposure to IAP in developing countries in 2012, almost all in low and middle income countries. The South East Asian and Western Pacific regions bear most of the burden with 1.69 and 1.62 million deaths, respectively.

Even though the rate of dependence on biomass fuel is declining, this dwindling resource will not keep up with population growth which could ultimately put environments at even greater risk.

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Many of these regulations have illustrated the case of a government beholden to the private interests of corporations (oil companies, hunters, land developers, industries) more so than environmental protection. Because of the way the political system in the US is interwoven with the interests of people with money, a lot depends on the leanings of the party that is in power (this was the case in Brazil too, where the Amazon recovered under the leadership of the previous government, but now is more under threat with the party that is more right-leaning and free market-minded in power).

Is it right for governments to overlook the environment just because of economic growth? What’s the difference between the cases of Brazil and the US?

Why do economic interests tend to be the most important for governments to serve?

Do the interests of the people only consist of economic considerations? What others are there?

Consider whether it is possible to achieve both- pursuing economic development to better the lives of its people AND protect the environment? (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

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The global oil industry illustrates the pressures faced by corporations fairly well.

1) Demand

•Even as more clean energy options are starting to surface, the oil industry has not seen a dip in demand. Developing countries like China and India still run on oil, using it to transport their gigantic populations and produce plastics that are commonplace in all consumer products.

•At the same time, the green energy sector is growing, and there is increasing demand for more sustainable forms of energy. Precisely because oil companies are profit maximizing, they have found that they need to adapt to this changing landscape and start diversifying their supply. Ironically, “Climate change poses an existential risk to the oil and gas industry,” wrote Neil Beveridge, an analyst at Bernstein, a Wall Street research firm, in a recent note to clients.

2) Supply

•At the same time, supply has been boosted through the exploitation of shale oil reserves and the development of fracking technology.

3) Regulations

•Given the scale of their operations and the economic growth they generate, Big Oil companies are also often given much leeway to continue developing from governments, and are not subject to the most stringent of regulations.

So largely, we have seen the oil industry continue to flourish, but to the detriment of the environment.

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So in the case of this kind of air pollution, it is evident that not all individuals are operating solely from selfish reasons. Tracking vaguely with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, people’s physiological / physical needs are the most basic level that has to be satisfied before they can start to consider social needs (being part of a community) or philosophical ones (self-actualization).

This is a problem that plagues many communities in the developing world who are prevented or constrained from taking more environmentally friendly routes because their most basic physical needs have not yet been met. Do more research to see more examples of how this plays out around the world.

We then have to ask ourselves:

Is it realistic to expect societies to protect the environment when it is difficult for them to meet their basic needs?

What does this mean for environmental solutions?

Consider whether it is possible to achieve both and be a truly ethical consumer (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

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What this really reveals is the market-oriented nature of our capitalist economies, and this will continue to have an impact on whether environmental problems continue and whether solutions are adopted.

So we can reflect a little more about whether:

It is a good or bad thing that the oil industry (and other businesses) are most responsive to profit? Why?

What does this mean for environmental solutions? What will they require of profit margins, costs, supply, infrastructure?

Consider whether it is possible to achieve both in a capitalist economy- pursuing profits AND sustainability/protecting the environment? (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

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Consumerist culture guides much of the behaviour of individuals in modern society today. The fruits of the Industrial Revolution have meant that we are able to procure virtually anything we want, in whatever quantities we want, whenever we want. We are entrenched in consumerist systems which encourage this acquisition of goods and services in ever increasing amounts. This practically leads to overconsumption, which has significant impacts on the environment.
But, are these demands of individuals are always purely selfish?

One of the most obvious ways we see how individual demands clash with the environment is in our consumerist, throw-away society and culture. The throw-away society is a human society strongly influenced by consumerism, a system which over-consumes and produces in excess short-lived or disposable items over goods that are durable. We exist in a take-make-dispose linear economy, where goods are intentionally produced with the view that they will be used and thrown away. Think about how this just entrenches the problem – it is not just a demand problem, but also one of supply and production.

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So when it comes to individuals, particularly individuals as consumers,

what do you think are the reasons for why our needs and wants conflict with protecting the environment?

What are Singaporeans' consumerist behaviours like- do they care for the environment?

Consider whether it is possible to achieve both and be a truly ethical consumer (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

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Task: Where does the Singapore government stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it)

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Task: Where does the Singapore government stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it)

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Task: Where does your society (if not, Singapore) stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary of it)

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Task: Where does your society (if not, Singapore) stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary of it)

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Task: Where do Singapore companies stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and post a summary on it)

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Task: Where do Singapore companies stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and post a summary on it)

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Task: Where do your society's (if not Singapore's) companies stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it.) 

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Task: Where do your society's (if not Singapore's) companies stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it.) 

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Task: Where do Singaporeans stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and post a summary on it)

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Task: Where do Singaporeans stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and post a summary on it)

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Task: Where do your society's (if not Singapore's) individuals stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it.) 

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Task: Where do your society's (if not Singapore's) individuals stand on this? (Find a relevant article(s) and provide a summary on it.) 

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Elephant trunks trafficking: authorities seized 2 metric tons of trunks from the republic of Congo that are valued up to $6 million

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So in the case of this kind of air pollution, it is evident that not all individuals are operating solely from selfish reasons. Tracking vaguely with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, people’s physiological / physical needs are the most basic level that has to be satisfied before they can start to consider social needs (being part of a community) or philosophical ones (self-actualization).

This is a problem that plagues many communities in the developing world who are prevented or constrained from taking more environmentally friendly routes because their most basic physical needs have not yet been met. Do more research to see more examples of how this plays out around the world.

We then have to ask ourselves:

Is it realistic to expect societies to protect the environment when it is difficult for them to meet their basic needs?

It is not realistic as it is more important for them to focus on their survival than on environmental sustainability.

What does this mean for environmental solutions?

More developed countries have to lend a helping hand to the less developed countries to become more environmentally sustainable.

Consider whether it is possible to achieve both and be a truly ethical consumer (Think: Polarity Thinking!) How would this be possible?

it will be very hard as you have to chabge your lifestyle in order to be more environmentally friendly for example going waste free.

Choose or craft a relevant GP essay question where you can use this case study as a relevant illustration in your essay.

It is the responsibility of the more developed countries to aid the lesser xeveloped countries in ensuring environmental sustainability. How far do you agree

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-university-divest-oil-gas-chemicals-jobs-clean-energy-2492506

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Commentary

Students have called out local universities' engagement with the fossil fuel industry, which might be one more troubling development for the country's petrochemical industry, say energy researcher Melissa Low and environmental studies undergraduate Saw Sze Jie.

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Commentary: Bad news for Singapore's oil and gas industry as young people shun fossil fuels?

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Commentary Students have called out local universities' engagement with the fossil fuel industry, which might be one more troubling development for the country's petrochemical industry, say energy researcher Melissa Low and environmental studies undergraduate Saw Sze Jie.

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He protects the environment

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Singapore youth give 18 recommendations for tackling environmental crisis

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Their recommendations span six areas, including emissions, nature, energy and corporate responsibility. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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It is a form of an organized crime activity that has devastating effect on the environment. Criminals motivated by high profits, exploit the environment to get natural resources such as minerals and animal body parts. This has become increasingly serious due to scarcity of resources.

impacts (of poaching animals in particular)

1. species extinctions and declines

Spix’s macaws (featured in the movie Rio), extinct in the wild since 2018 largely due to the international pet trade

northern white rhinos, with the last male dying in Kenya in 2018; and

Yangtze giant softshell turtles, with the last known female dying in China in 2019.

2. many animals die in transit (they die in vain)

Stuffed into hair curlers or taped into suitcases, live birds and reptiles in the illegal pet trade often don’t survive the journey. For example, 75% of parrots captured in Mexico for the illegal pet trade die in transit, according to one study. This suggests that for every live illegal parrot available to buyers, 3 never even made it to market.

3. threatens not just wildlife, but human health and government stability.

The illegal wildlife trade opens doors for viruses and other pathogens to jump from animals to humans. Further, wildlife trafficking – sometimes spurred by corruption and other illicit trade – undermines the government stability of countries around the world.

measures to take:

Reducing demand is the only surefire way to stop poaching. Reducing the world’s demand for illegal wildlife species and products might be our most powerful long-term strategy to protect species. Law enforcement alone cannot stop wildlife trafficking. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service International Affairs Program supports projects around the globe to reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife. For example, in Cambodia, the USFWS Combating Wildlife Trafficking program and San Diego Zoo Global work together to drive down demand for illegal products from Asian bears.

https://www.doi.gov/blog/10-things-poachers-dont-want-you-know-about-wildlife-trafficking

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https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/

The Singapore Green Plan 2030 is a commitment by Singapore to achieve long term net zero emissions in 2050. To achieve this, the Green Plan has 5 main pillars, which are

1. City in Nature
2. Energy Reset
3. Sustainable Living
4. Green Economy
5. Resilient Future

each with a set end goal to be achieved by 2030, namely

- Plant 1 million more trees
- Quadruple solar energy deployment by 2025
- Reduce the waste sent to landfill by 30% by 2030
- At least 20% of schools to be carbon neutral by 2030
- All newly registered cars to be cleaner-energy models from 2030

Plus a bit more