Symposium: Technology and Policy for Low Carbon Society
Beijing, China
November 8 – 9, 2010
Last November 8, 2010, I and Nakamura san visited Beijing for a GCOE conference. The theme was about low carbon society. And in the process of discovering that endeavor, we went through several facets of life.
The Symposium
The event was jointly organized by Tsinghua Universtiy and Tokyo Institute of Technology. The event was actually an avenue where both universities would start a formal and long term collaboration of efforts that would lead to further development and research in the field of energy and low carbon society. The professors who presented in the symposium shared remarkable works; which serve as a good guide for energy experts. The highlight of the symposium was the extensive dialogues of the different professors and presenters for efforts towards future collaboration between universities. Both universities realized the great need to further the collaborative efforts of technology sharing and development. Low carbon society is to be realized by the joint efforts of not only industries but also the universities which develop the technologies. China`s CO2 emission challenge was the highlight topic for the sessions and the solutions lay in the researches presented.
Research Works
There were several researches which paved a good way towards low carbon society.
1) Improved efficiency and cleaner combustion of Boilers.
(ア) CFB (Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers) were given much emphasis as Chinas hope and advantage towards cleaner energy.
2) Carbon Capture Technology
(ア) Main issues of which was in the safety of storage technology
3) Fuel Cell and its various applications
(ア) New materials are discovered to be better catalysts for the process
4) Solar Technology
(ア) Advancements in efficiency of power production
5) Energy recovery systems
(ア) Energy can be created by waste water and salt water treatment
6) Social Acceptance of RE and Low Carbon Society
(ア) Impact assessment of projects need to include society more in its process (heartware)
7) Wind power
(ア) China`s wind power technology development has been outstanding, with great expansion of the market and industry capability in short 5 year strategic plans.
Tsinghua University
We also had a tour of Tsinghua University. We went to the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering. Their facility was donated by an Italian donor group who wanted to showcase cutting edge technology in smart buildings design. The building incorporated several renewable and sustainable energy mechanisms such as, heat and water recycling, natural lighting, energy saving sensors, and solar panels. We also saw the researches done in the department, where they dealt with several environmental issues such as water and energy related issues. More info of the facility can be found here: http://www.env.tsinghua.edu.cn/
Beijing, China
On the last day, I and Nakamura san had a chance to go around the city center. There we got to have a glimpse of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The palace was grand and the sight of it takes you back to the ancient days of China. We also got to go around the nearby shopping areas, though since all products in China could be found around the world, we had quite a hard time selecting what to get. The Peking Duck dinner however topped off our day as we tried our best to enjoy the best Chinese dishes our little money could buy.
It was a simple yet rich trip; a good mix of learning and actual experience of life in China. Observing the locals allowed me to see how different the culture was from Japan. The culture difference makes me wonder how a low carbon society can be made. It is an endeavor that includes a variety of things. Not only technology can bring us towards progress. It is in having a deep understanding of what is ingrained in each of the individuals that make up society that we can understand how we must look on into the future. A low carbon society is within reach. As a researching professional, let us keep not only the technical aspect of our works, but always keep in mind also the “heartware” that we build in our endeavors.