Is energy, of all top global issues, the most prone to myths and misconceptions? It is a complex, technical, politicised area that deals in decades of asset lives and trillions of dollars and is deeply entwined with climate change.
Yet, too often, media, analysts and politicians discuss it with cliches, defunct talking points and ideological tenets.
One myth, the idea that oil production would imminently peak and decline because of dwindling resources, was popular in the 1970s and during the China-fuelled price boom of the 2000s.
Fortunately, the advent of US shale production and, more recently, the progress in competing non-oil systems has largely killed off this idea.
Now the industry worries instead about “peak demand”, a much more realistic concept that bets on technological ingenuity instead of against it.
However, other flawed ideas recur across all energy types. One overarching failing is the search for a silver bullet that solves all energy and climate problems: nuclear, solar and wind, geothermal, self-driving electric vehicles, radically improved efficiency, the reversal of economic and population growth, an expansion into space or any of a host of other panaceas.
In reality, all energy sources have flaws, negative consequences, no-go areas and natural limits of some kind. As we try ever harder to shoehorn a single solution into unsuitable problems, costs rise and reliability drops in most cases.
The enormous size and inertia of the energy system, its geographic spread and the varied demands on it mean that making it clean and available to all humanity by midcentury, while staying cheap and trustworthy, is tough even if we use all available tools sensibly – and impossible if we limit our options.
Let us take some illustrations. Carbon capture and storage, or CCS – which is taking carbon dioxide from industries and power plants, and disposing of it safely underground – is assessed by most major agencies as an essential part of tackling climate change. Yet, news stories seem obliged always to describe it as “unproved”, “expensive” or “commercially unviable.”
This “unproved” technology started in 1972 in the US, and Norway began using it for environmental reasons in 1996, at the Sleipner field, where it has progressed successfully and without problems.
Hiccups such as those at the Gorgon field in Australia, where capture levels have so far been lower than planned, are described as existential doom for CCS, rather than the natural teething troubles of new projects.
"CCS is expensive" – compared to what? The costs of $50 to $100 per tonne of carbon dioxide captured are favourable alongside subsidies for the early solar industry or for electric car purchases today. And the technology has been “commercially unviable” because no one was willing to pay for it – until recently.
Now that European carbon prices have risen well above $50 a tonne and generous American tax credits have become available, a wave of CCS projects is appearing.
Renewables are often dismissed by quite a different tendency – those who dismiss the threat of climate change.
We will inevitably be told that the “wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine”, as though this were some remarkable revelation that was overlooked. We do not have to be Einstein, who won the Nobel for discovering the photoelectric effect in 1905, to be familiar with sunrise.
Every power cut in Texas, California or the North Sea is blamed on unreliable solar or wind, even though conventional power plants, the grid or the power market design often prove to be at least equally at fault.
In reality, the costs of renewables have fallen impressively and combinations of batteries, other storage systems and smarter grids mean we should be able to meet 80 per cent of electricity demand with renewables at similar or lower costs to today, with high reliability.
Nuclear power suffers from some of its overenthusiastic advocates almost as much as from its detractors. As a large, proven, reliable and low-carbon energy source, it should have a major role. Many anti-nuclear activists are still fighting the battles of the 1970s that helped birth the modern green movement before climate change became the overriding threat.
Such thinking yields the absurd result of hyper-environmentally conscious Germany phasing out its safe, existing nuclear power by the end of next year while clinging on to coal-fired stations until 2038. At the same time, CCS to clean up these polluting monsters is next to impossible in Germany, even while its British, Dutch and Norwegian neighbours enthusiastically pursue it.
On the other hand, nuclear fans who tout it as the only or the major future energy source need to reckon honestly with a recent history in Europe and the US of massive cost overruns and delays concerning new plants.
This is partly the result of public opposition and over-engineered and ever-changing safety standards. It also comes from a nuclear industry and, more generally, western economies, which seem to have forgotten how to build anything large – whether a French reactor, an airport in Berlin or a tunnel in Boston.
Finally, a persistent meme, fuelled by dodgy calculations, purports to show that electric vehicles emit more carbon dioxide than petrol or diesel cars. This relies on the idea that making batteries in China is very polluting and that vehicles would be powered by coal-fired electricity. In almost all cases, electric cars cut pollution by 30 per cent to 70 per cent and this will only get better as they improve and as the electric grid becomes cleaner.
Why do such obsessions surface and recur? Some fit the zeitgeist or the needs of environmentalists or energy industry lobbyists.
Sometimes technology and circumstances have changed but zombie ideas stagger on. Sometimes hard truths are unpalatable and counterintuitive while simple but false solutions to complex problems are appealing.
Whatever the reasons, we should all avoid such energy myths ourselves and be vigilant in detecting them in others.
Robin Mills is chief executive of Qamar Energy and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis
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.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
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)
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RIDE%20ON
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
