The “fifth fuel” is nothing like French film director Luc Besson’s stylish 1997 cult sci-fi movie The Fifth Element, starring Bruce Willis.
Instead, the fifth fuel delivers negawatts — the megawatt of electricity not consumed. What is this mysterious substance? In the humble pursuit of energy efficiency worldwide, consumers and governments are bizarrely ignoring it.
The first four fuels are coal, hydrocarbons (oil and gas), nuclear and renewables. Each of these has its problems. In the current twin crises of energy insecurity and climate change, efficiency is the only option that combines being affordable, non-polluting, reliable, available everywhere, quick to market and socially acceptable.
As Russian gas supplies are gradually throttled, Europe faces a winter crisis. High petrol prices threaten US President Joe Biden’s political fortunes and defy government action.
India and China struggle with shortages of coal and electricity that force shutdowns of industry and air conditioning.
Even Japan, the developed countries’ most energy-frugal member, narrowly avoided power shortages during the country's heatwave last month.
High energy prices drive much of worldwide inflation and feed into the costs of making many other materials, including those required for renewable systems, batteries and electric vehicles. Using energy more wisely is the only way to alleviate these problems significantly over the next year or two.
Of course, all government policies and analysts’ forecasts pay lip service to improving energy efficiency.
For instance, the International Energy Agency’s scenario for reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 has an annual 4 per cent reduction in energy intensity — the amount of energy required to produce one unit of gross domestic product. The EU’s proposed energy efficiency directive would cut energy use 1.5 per cent each year up to 2030.
But the actions of most governments, companies and individuals show they do not take efficiency seriously.
First, the more aggressive projections required for net-zero carbon look like fantasy — requiring the global energy economy to change more radically than anything seen historically.
In the past 55 years, the best ever annual improvement in intensity was less than 3 per cent. The yearly average since the oil crises of the 1970s was 1.07 per cent.
Even more remarkably, the amount of electricity to create a unit of GDP has not budged in the last 36 years.
The tremendous growth of megawatts of inherently less profligate renewables and electric vehicles will help to cut primary energy use, but it is not being matched by more intelligent use of electricity to save negawatts.
Climate change around the world — in pictures
And even if achieved, such dramatic improvements would drive down prices, undoing the incentives for further gains in efficiency, unless offset by high taxes or other stringent measures. Such factors make it unfeasible to quadruple efficiency gains every year over three decades.
Second, exceptionally expensive energy should drive efficiency on its own. But governments are doing their best to shelter consumers from price signals.
The US administration has floated the idea of a temporary holiday on petrol taxes, France and Germany are offering consumers handouts and Italy will spend nearly €40 billion ($41.7bn) subsidising energy bills.
Spain and Portugal are capping the price of gas for electricity generation, the UK government is giving every household a £400 ($483.95) discount on their electricity bill and India has imposed an export tax on fuel to keep domestic prices lower.
Third, boosting energy efficiency is steady, unglamorous work. The electricians, builders and technicians who install LED lights, insulation, heat pumps and seal air-gaps in windows and doors are in short supply in developed countries.
Politicians appear at the unveiling of a big new solar or wind power plant and can talk of their green credentials and the major contracts going to their constituents and donors. Only a few have their names on a low-energy light bulb.
Performance varies enormously between countries.
Europe’s most urgent need, given the shortage of gas, is heating for buildings. In chilly and environmentally aware Norway, an average home loses only 0.9ºC of temperature after five hours of freezing weather.
In the UK, with its Victorian housing stock, the figure is 3ºC. The UK government gave up on incentives for home insulation in 2013, a decision which has cost the country at least £2.5bn.
The IEA advocates replacing gas boilers with heat pumps, accelerating efficiency improvement, and turning down the thermostat for heating by 1ºC. Together, these simple steps would, within a year, save about a tenth of the gas that Europe buys from Russia.
Governments need to resist the temptation to subsidise: instead, they should protect vulnerable members of society, while ensuring prices otherwise properly reflect the financial and environmental cost of energy use.
Robin Mills,
chief executive of Qamar Energy
The Gulf’s need is the opposite: about 60 per cent to 70 per cent of buildings’ electricity use is for cooling. As the globe warms up and people become wealthier, air-conditioning units worldwide are expected to reach 5.6 billion by 2050, up from 1.6 billion today.
Air-conditioning units need to be upgraded, have filters cleaned and set to the correct temperature. A refit of the American University in Ras Al Khaimah, for instance, will save 21 per cent of electricity and 15 per cent of water.
Beyond this, Dubai-based Empower says its district cooling technology saves 50 per cent of energy versus having units for individual buildings.
Mubadala’s aerospace unit Strata has teamed up with two German companies to build a residential air-conditioning system that it says will be 10 times more efficient than standard units today.
Businesses and residents need to think about changing their behaviour, avoiding energy waste and investing sensibly to upgrade buildings.
Governments need to resist the temptation to subsidise: instead, they should protect vulnerable members of society, while ensuring prices otherwise properly reflect the financial and environmental cost of energy use. They must create sensible efficiency regulations and incentives.
Above all, governments, corporations and climate leaders should show they really care about energy efficiency.
Instead of the “fifth fuel”, it should be the priority. As Fatih Birol, secretary-general of the IEA, declared on Friday: “At the IEA, we say efficiency is the first fuel.”
Robin M Mills is chief executive of Qamar Energy and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Results
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)
Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)
Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)
Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
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