The Sweihan solar power project in Abu Dhabi will be the world’s largest on a single site, with a capacity of almost 1.2 gigawatts. Costing about US$1.2 billion, it will cover an area four times the size of Downtown Dubai. Now imagine building almost three hundred such plants in the UAE alone.
This huge effort is one part of the sketches by the Stanford professor Mark Jacobson and his colleagues on how by 2050, the United States and the entire world could power itself solely with renewable energy – wind, sun and water (hydropower from rivers and tidal power from the sea). His team argues this is not just feasible and environmentally sustainable but, in fact, cheaper than our current system. And it has raised a strange controversy in the US – a controversy in which politics and public relations battle with engineering and logic.
A 100 per cent renewable targets are becoming increasingly popular for cities, countries and companies to adopt. Setting a vague political aspiration for three decades, and now politicians can quote scientific papers in approval.
But this approach is in direct opposition to those of most forecasters, such as the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who emphasise on a mix of technologies. Critics – many of them environmental and renewables advocates themselves – have pointed to errors and dubious assumptions in Jacobson's model.
Unlike many plans, his work looks not only at electricity, but at all energy use. So all industry runs on electricity, all ground vehicles are battery-powered and aircraft fly with hydrogen fuel made from renewable energy. There is no nuclear power, no biofuels (made from wood or crops), and of course no fossil fuels. He also does not use batteries, except in vehicles. So Jacobson needs extreme measures to match the intermittent and uncontrollable supply of solar and wind power until the time it is needed.
In Jacobson's world, there are no communities or environmental groups protesting against new dams and power lines, no shortages of scarce raw materials for solar panels or electric cars. Part of his dismissal of atomic energy assumes a nuclear war would be fought every 30 years, but no nuclear war has occurred in the past 70 years, and nuclear weapons do not require civilian nuclear power.
Three unproved technologies – hydrogen production for energy storage, hydrogen-powered aircraft and underground heat storage – have to be scaled up by hundreds of thousands of times in a few decades. US hydroelectric dams expand have to use hundred times the flow of the Mississippi River. Tiny Singapore, with its busy shipping lanes, has to install almost three times the offshore wind that the energy guru David Mackay calculated as the maximum plausible for the United Kingdom.
The time set, 2050, is now just 33 years away. In 1984, the global energy system – reliant on oil, gas, coal, nuclear and large hydroelectric power, and oil-powered planes, ships and cars – looked not that different from today’s. Indeed many of that era’s power plants and transmission grids still operate. The main difference now, along with steady improvements in efficiency, is the rise of solar and wind power in some places. Last year, renewable energy met 10 per cent of global energy demand, of which hydroelectric power was 7 per cent.
These and other objections suggest that, if anything, Jacobson shows that 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050 is not feasible or realistic. We might anyway ask why it should even be a target. Some use of fossil fuels by 2050 is still possible while meeting climate goals, particularly combined with carbon capture and storage. Nuclear power, at least existing plants, are reliable and cheap.
Claiming uncritically that renewable energy is ready to meet all our needs – and at lower cost with more jobs – is dangerous. It diminishes the urgency of the very real research and improvements we need. It leads countries such as Germany, South Korea and France to scale down or close successful nuclear power programmes – increasing greenhouse gas emissions now with no guarantee they will come down later. And it fixates politicians on backing perceived “winners”, such as ethanol from corn to fuel cars – putting money in the pocket of Iowa farmers at the cost of motorists, for little or no environmental gain.
The Arabian Gulf countries do have great potential to boost their use of renewable energy, particularly solar. Perhaps paradoxically, it may be easier for them to get to a high share of renewables than the US. Electricity demand, mainly for air conditioning, matches well with solar supply in summer. Large areas of sunny deserts give ample room for solar panels. Energy does not have be stored for months, as in Europe, heating and lighting homes on a chilly, dark and still winter evening.
Dubai’s latest world-record low bid, for a concentrated solar power plant which can store energy overnight, is further room for optimism. Other ingenious concepts include using desalinated water, ice and the batteries of electric vehicle fleets as ways of saving energy for when it is needed. Such approaches need rigorous development and deployment, not precisely wrong spreadsheet engineering.
It is time for urgent realism in energy policy: building the next Sweihan solar plant rather than dreaming of three hundred of them.
Robin Mills is the CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
