• 2021-04-14
    Directions:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.
    AWorldinTransition
    A)Thisyearopensinthewakeofthe2015ParisClimateChangeConference(COP21)andthelaunchoftheUNSustainableDevelopmentGoals.Theformersetsouttoreachanagreementoncarbonemissions,whereasthelatteraimstocombatpovertyandinequalitywhileprotectingtheenvironment.Bothaddresscriticalsetsofchallengeswithprofoundimplicationsforthewaytheworldoperates.Andbothrequireseriousconsiderationsaboutenergy.
    B)It'sclearthatdealingwithclimatechangecallsfordeep(and,likely,total)decarbonizationofourenergysystem,whichentailsafundamentaltransformationofourinfrastructure.Italsodemandsimmediateandrapidaction,asourwindowforavoidingthedisastrousconsequencesofcarbonemissionsisevershrinking.Yetatthesametime,globalenergydemandcontinuestorise,particularlyinemerginganddevelopingcountries,raisingconcernsaboutenergysecurityeveninthedevelopedworld,whereonerarelyconsidersthatthelightsmaynotcomeonwhentheswitchisflipped.Howdowemeetdemandandstillachievetherequiredrapidchangeswhenmakingdecisionsaboutenergysupplycantakeyears,andthedevelopmentandconstructionofenergysourcescantakeevenlonger?
    C)Scienceandtechnologyundoubtedlyplayavitalrole.Researcheffortscontinuetofurnishuswithfreshinsightsintofundamentalphenomenathathelpusdevelopbetterdevicesandprocessesforgeneratingorstoringenergy.Forexample,newstudiesofphotovoltaicsareenablingmoreefficientcellstobeconstructed,andpresentingcheaper,moreflexibleapproachestobuildingthem;newfindingsintointerfacialorcatalyticphenomenagenerateadvancesinstoragetechnologiesthatcouldbolsterdeploymentofintermittentrenewablesandreshapethegrid;adeeperunderstandingofmaterialsandchemistrycanoffermoreefficientroutestothegenerationoffuels.Technologyinnovationbringsawealthofnewapplications,overcomingissuesofsupplyorenergyefficiency,allowingustoaddressmanyofthechallengeswefacetodayandhopefullymanyofthosewearen'tyetawareof.
    D)Yettobelievethattechnologyalonewillsaveusistoforgetthattechnologiesmustbeusedbypeople.Itisnotenoughtojustbuildandimplementnewtechnologies:thewayweuse,interactwith,andthinkaboutthemiscriticalaswell.Givenseveraloptionsofequalscientificmerit,thechoiceofwhichtopursuedependsonsocial,cultural,economicandpoliticalfactors.Thus,weshouldn'tforgetthatscienceandtechnologyformpartofabiggerandmorecomplicatedsystem,fullofimportantfeedbacksandloops.Ifwecanbetterunderstandthewaythatindividualsandsocietiesengagewithenergyondifferentlevels,wecandesignbettertoolsordeploytheminmoreappropriateways,reapinggreaterrewards.
    E)Considerphotovoltaics.Understandinghowtoimprovetheefficiencyofasolarcellisjustonestepintheprocessofincreasingtheuseofsolarpower:wemustalsoknowhowtobuildmodulesthatarelong-lastinganddurable;thatarecheaptoproduceatscaleandeasytoinstall;orthatcanfulfilfunctionsthatotherdesignscan't.Tomakesolarpowercompetitiveinthemarketplace,wehavetothinkaboutsubsidiesandwhatlevelofeconomicsupportmightberequiredoverwhatperiod.Therearealsoissuesaroundwheretoinstallsolarpanels:wherearegoodlocations,whydopeopleobjecttobuildingsolarfarmsneartothem,whatmotivatessomepeopletoinstallsolarpowerandotherstorefusetoadoptit?Solarpower(aswellasotherrenewablesourceslikewind)alsoenablesindividuals,communities,townsandcitiestopowerthemselvesindependentlyofcentralizedprovidersandtobecomeproducersofenergyaswellasconsumers,sellingexcesselectricitybacktothegrid.Thisgivesrisetoanumberoffurtherchallengesforgridoperation,businessmodels,regulationandgovernance.Andthisisalltosaynothingoftheadditionalopportunitiesthatopenupwhenphotovoltaicsarelinkedtoothertechnologies,likestorageorsmartgrids.Bythinkingmorecarefullyatasystemslevel,combiningnaturalandsocialscienceconsiderations,wecanmovetowardsamoreintegrated,flexibleenergysystemthatbetterfulfillsourgoals.
    F)Noonedisciplinecantrulyclaimtohavealltheanswerstoourenergychallenges.Whatisneededisamultiplicityofvoices---acombinedeffortfrommanydisciplinesalltryingtounderstandhowwecanfacilitatetheenergytransitionbutalsoallinteractingwithoneanother,sharingthebenefitsoftheirwisdomforthemutualgood.Ofcourse,thismultitudespeaksmanydifferentlanguages.Multi-andinterdisciplinarystudies---ofwhichthereareanever-growingnumber---helpherebyplayinganincreasinglyimportantroleinremovingthetraditionalboundariesbetweengroupsandbroadeningtheconversation.
    G)Byorientingitselfaroundasubject,notadiscipline,NatureEnergyhopestobeahomeforthemanydifferentvoicesneeded,publishingthebestresearchandopiniononenergyissuesacrossthenaturalandsocialsciences.Italsopresentsperspectivesandopinionsondifferentaspectsoftheenergysystem,fromcarboncaptureandstorageprojectstogridbalancingandstorageforrenewables.Itwantstopublishtheresearchthatmattersthemosttoeachfieldbutthatwillalsobeofinterestandinfluentialforpeopleworkingelsewhereinenergy.
    H)Energyisanenormousbutexcitingfield.Thetransitiontothecleaner,greener,fairerenergysystemofthefutureisunderway.NatureEnergylooksforwardtohelpingspeeditalong.
    ______11.NatureEnergyhopestoserveasaforumforthespreadanddiscussionofpressingenergyquestions.
    ______12.Energyisanimportantpartinthedevelopmentplansmadefortheworld.
    ______13.Scientificresearchesgiveusgreatideasofexploringnewenergysources.
    ______14.Manyfactorsshouldbetakenintoconsiderationasweplantousenewenergy.
    ______15.Howtousethesolarpowerwellisagoodexampleofincorporatingbothnaturalandsocialscienceconsiderations.
    ______16.Carbonemissionshavecausedseriousproblemstomankind.
    ______17.Energytransitioncallsforjointeffortsfrommanydisciplines.
    ______18.Theenergyissueposesachallengenotonlyforthedevelopingcountriesbutalsoforthedevelopedones.
    ______19.Withsupport,theenergyindustryischangingforabetterfuture.
    ______20.Solarenergydiffersfromtraditionalsourcesinthatindividualscanjoinintheproductionofenergy.