Future power survey and competition!

I would like to ask a favor of all readers interested in energy end environment. Would you like to contribute to changing the future? Here´s a chance I strongly advise you to grasp. Whether your background is technical or not, reading this document and answering the survey can help you making decisions regarding future studies or careers. You can even win an iPad in the process!

In Stavanger, I met Leon Prebeau-Menezes and Dan Zilnik at Statoil headquarters. Representing the World Petroleum Council Youth Committee, they are both distinguished personalities within their fields. I am deeply impressed by their knowledge, insight and ability to catalyze change in a what may be perceived as a conservative industry. They are the leading minds behind an excellent pre- read summary of possible future scenarios, followed by a survey sent out to provident and ambitious people worldwide. The results are to be presented at the World Heavy Oil Congress held in Canada in March.

The World Petroleum Council Youth Committee are making a huge effort to get a youth perspective into the congress. They will present the results of a survey they are running at the congress. With meaningful results, this could contribute in the process of influencing the future of the energy industry!

The target group of the survey is people studying or working in the petroleum sector. If you don´t, like me, I challenge you to fill in the survey based on the possibility of a future job within the industry. On my behalf, that would be possible if it means I would be able to contribute, working with projects that will influence the future to the better.

It takes about 20-30 minutes to read the pre-read and fill in the survey. Please take your time, enjoy the reading and let your thoughts come through in the survey. For anyone concerned or curious about the future, this is really great stuff to read. I found it amazingly interesting!

You can read and fill in the survey here (try copy-pasting the complete URL if you can´t access it directly: "http://www.worldheavyoilcongress.com/wp-content/uploads/CAWPC-IEA-Scenarios-Pre-Read_.pdf").

We hold the future in our hands. Use your chance to make it a good one! Good luck, and fingers crossed the iPad goes to you.

Statoil: sustainable company number one!

Forbes.com has recently published a list of the world´s most sustainable companies. Guess who ended up in the first place? Statoil! I´m a little surprised because Statoil is a Norwegian oil company. However, I´m not so surprised because I´ve been lucky enough to visit Statoil´s headquarters in Stavanger. I´ve seen some of the focus areas they lead aiming to improve the environment impact of the company and oil industry as a whole.

I came to realize that oil companies aren´t necessarily as black and white as people might think. After attending a meeting with two fantastic personalities in Statoil headquarters, I got a brief insight in the possibilities they get for working with environment related project. Working in the extractive industries can help understanding and improving the environmental and socio-economic impacts of developing natural resources.

In short: the energy sector will be dominated by hydrocarbons, even in decades to come with transition to cleaner energy. We need the immense competence and experience from people within engineering, finance and corporate strategy to be able to cope with comprehensive global challenges.

The human resources now working in the oil sector

will be part of the great effort of changing the course of the future. Even more so, some are already role models and lead the way into a more sustainable future. Both on a personal level like some of the wonderful people I met in Stavanger, and in larger scales like companies and whole industries, working hard to improve the environmental impact of energy production.

That being said, I think this attitude should be the rule, not the exception! Massive challenges are linked with production of fossil fuels, I suppose there´s no need to point at the emissions of greenhouse gases. The point is to face reality, accept where the world is headed and DO something to regain balance. We´re on the way already, but need to take some giant leaps to reach the final target.

Read more about Forbes.com´s rating here.

Solar energy airplanes

Air traffic provides significant emissions of greenhouse gases. Because the aircraft is outstanding over long distances, I don´t think the traffic will slow down unless... we get another Eyjafjallajökull.

However, the change has already begun. Experiments with biofuels and solar airplanes like the solar airplane "Impulse" (photos) are some examples. I think we will witness an environmental revolution in the air traffic within a few decades!

I imagine that future aircraft fuel will be a hybrid of solar power and energy stored in batteries. As of today, solar cells and batteries are neither light nor efficient enough. The challenge is mainly to make batteries lightweight, with an excellent capacity for storing energy over time. The "fuel" will be both the excess energy from the solar cells and energy that is stored in the batteries before the start.

In the transition from gasoline to electricity, planes can be built as hybrid models in the same way as the hybrid cars are made today.

If enough resources and effort being put in the work of environmental technology in aircrafts, we could witness giant leaps forward in a short span of time. Just think about how fast the reduction of the computer's size and capacity developed!

Climate= Health

Climate=Health is a brilliant initiative run by the Norwegian Medical Association. It is a campaign focusing on how climate change will impact health, both worldwide and locally.

From January to March they are arranging a comprehensive competition with great prices for the winners! Suitable for everyone who has a good idea about how to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Globally or locally! Or maybe both?

If you're not so steady in Norwegian, I suggest you send in your idea in English or use Google Translate. Visit Climate=Health's website (in Norwegian) here!

Going to Dubai!

I am thrilled to be attending the biennial conference Education Without Borders in Dubai. It´s a great honor to be chosen as a delegate for the conference, which aims to find innovative solutions to global challenges.

I have been fortunate enough to work with three excellent engineers from the University of Calgary in Canada: Zakir, Krispin and Leon. Our paper is called "Rapid Disaster Relief Through Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Energy Supply Networks". In short, it´s about solving challenges related to disaster relief.

My expectations before my first meeting with the United Arab Emirates are high, and I have a feeling they are not exaggerated. From the start the organizers have been thoroughly professional; I´m impressed by their efficiency, quick response and elegant handling of the massive influx of requests and paper submissions for the conference.

Stor konkurranse med Klima= Helse!

Klima= Helse er et strålende initiativ drevet av Norsk Medisinstudentforening. Kampanjen fokuserer spesielt på klimaendringenes effekt på global helse. Fra januar til mars holder de en stor konkurranse med masse spennende premier! DU kan vinne et unikt brekurs, tur til Klimaparken på Galdhøpiggen, utstyr fra North Face, kino- og operabilletter.

Både grupper og personer kan delta. Oppgaven? Finn et kreativt forslag som kan redusere utslippene av CO2. Les mer om konkurransen og innlevering her.

Det er bare å kaste seg på! Send inn et bidrag og bli med i kampen om å velges ut som månedsvinner og kanskje til og med hovedvinner. Kunnskapsrike og erfarne dommere står klare til å evaluere DITT bidrag: Einar Håndlykken (daglig leder miljøstiftelsen Zero), Hege Gjessing (leder Yngre Legers Forening), miljø- og utviklingsminister Erik Solheim og forfatter Jostein Gaarder vil kåre de endelige vinnerne.

Klima= Helse skaper engasjement rundt globale klimaendringer som får lokale konsekvenser i samfunnet. Dette er en gylden mulighet for at nettopp DINE ideer når ut til verden! Masse lykke til alle sammen. Jeg gleder meg til å se forslagene som kommer inn!

Og dere? Be the change you want to see in the world.

Earthquakes: sudden and severe devastation

Earthquakes are some of the most devastating kinds of natural disasters. They have the potential to cause major devastation, both regarding human lives and damage to infrastructure. An example is the catastrophic scenario of the Haiti earthquake of 12 January 2010. It affected three million people. The mortality was estimated to 230,000. As much as 300,000 were reported injured and one million made homeless (MSNBC, 2010). As the epic center hit close to the capital, the densely populated Port-au-Prince and nearby areas

were caused major destruction. Massive collapses of buildings, roads, bridges and electricity networks made the help relief extremely difficult. The infrastructural damages slowed the process dramatically. Communication was difficult, making the help relief even harder to organize.

To avoid problems when infrastructure is severely damaged, a fast and flexible system for help relief is needed. A system based on an alternate energy network and artificial intelligence can prove to be of invaluable help in extreme situations as earthquakes.

The paper Leon, Krispin, Zakir and I sent in to Education Without Borders is about rapid help relief, which can prove invaluable in situations like the one we witnessed in Haiti. I hope we will be able to discuss the ideas with people at the conference!