Renewable Energy
In this issue, we bring you three feature articles focusing on renewable energy, shale gas and the future of central grids.
Communities in West Africa suffer difficulties accessing un-interrupted power supply. This has made life very unbearable. As a solution to this there is now the urge to resort to alternative power supply by wind turbine, gas turbine, solar energy or bio fuel, which is yet to be fully developed in West Africa. Read the full feature article.
The future of central grids – can crazy ideas make a new world?
by Saliem Fakir
Is it possible that we can envisage a new world in which the central grid gets outdated and a more diffused and dispersed system takes its place? Is this wishful thinking? Read the full feature article.Shale Gas: A Game Changer but at What Cost?
by Radhika Bhuyan
The South Africa government has a daunting task – on one hand it needs to ensure that future energy supply is secured while on the other, with limited information it needs to make towering investment decisions and devise energy plans for the next few decades. Often it has been that many energy projects are commissioned long after it was first needed or energy demand plans need to be revised as economic conditions have changed. Read the full feature article.
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Futurist profiles of the month
Mohamed Saliem Fakir is Head of Living Planet Unit at WWF-South Africa. Saliem answered a few questions about his perspective and on being a futures thinker.
Read more...
Ogechukwu Ojimaduekwu Ajoku is a Law Practitioner and Consultant and Principal (Heir) at Ojimaduekwu Solicitors & Attorneys. Ogechukwu answered a few questions about his perspective and on being a futures thinker.
Read more...
Interested in being profiled as a futures thinker on FFD? Submit your profile here.
Renewable Energy Bibliozone
Featured in Bibliozone this month is a collection of publications related to Renewable Energy, Clean / Green Energy, Biofuel / Biomass / Bioenergy, Energy, Energy Technology, Energy Game Changers, Resources / Resource scarcity. The selection of documents is partial and based on accessible material. Therefore, we would like to invite everyone to supplement our library with additional materials.
Publications from our FFD library: 
Various other publications are available in our FFD library on renewable energy futures.
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Renewable Energy for women
One of my childhood joys was visiting my grandmother. Every time we visited, we ate and her food was always distinct. It still is. But one thing I loved about it then was the fact that it came laced with a 'firewood' flavor. Now, you must be wondering what kind of a flavour that is, but food cooked with firewood over traditional cooking stones, has that 'firewood flavor to it'. Today though, I would not want her to go through all that. Matter of fact, I don’t appreciate her cooking with firewood anymore. I would rather she used something else like cooking gas, because it is not harmful to her body. The reality of this though is so instilled that it may not be easy. If your grandmother is as stubborn as mine then we will agree that change is one of those things that is hard to effect. Especially when you are trying to get someone to let go of something that they 'grew up doing'.
Read the full FFD blog.
Southern Africa Horizon Scan
Included in this month's edition of the Searchlight newsletter:
- Fostering complexity thinking: How to go from reductionist thinking to action based complexity research
- What is the role of manufacturing in boosting economic growth and employment
- ‘Well-off’ citizens do their bit for the poor
- Large-scale agricultural investments under poor land governance in Zambia
- New southern African project on natural resource governance
- A resilient contract with the ancestors in Madagascar
- How urban farming benefits young people
- Cape Town water demand below peak level
- A new centre for investigative environmental journalism
- Using public art as a way to fund and improve public spaces
- 14 really cool African tech start-ups worth watching in 2014
- Text messages aim to save lives in flood-prone African areas
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Futures Research Methodology v3 CD
Futures Research Methodology Version 3.0 is a handbook with the largest, most comprehensive collection of internationally peer-reviewed methods and tools to explore future possibilities ever assembled in one resource.
Buy the CD |
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Talk-@-tive
A selection of quotes about renewable energy futures.
“In finding a sustainable, affordable and reliable energy solution to meet its needs, Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog the dirty development pathways of industrialised countries."
Ansgar Kiene
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Videophile
Our selection of videos on: Renewable Energy
Including videos from The IRENA Renewable Energy Learning Partnership Project, Renewable Energy Futures to 2050, Energy Storage for the Age of Renewables, Scenarios for the future of renewable energy and many more.
View the videos... |
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Noticeboard
World Future Energy Summit 2015
19-22 January 2015
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
World Future Energy Summit is the world’s foremost annual meeting committed to promoting the advancement of future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies by engaging political, business, finance, academic and industry leaders to drive innovation, business and investment opportunities in response to the growing need for sustainable energy.
Read more on our noticeboard
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2013-14 State of the Future Infographic
The “ State of the Future” is a comprehensive overview of the present situation and prospects for humanity, integrating forecasts, trends, and judgments of thought leaders and scholars from around the world sharing important future possibilities to improve strategies today.
View the 2013-14 State of the Future Infographic
Download the 2013-2014 State of the Future, Executive Summary
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