HAI-LEE SUN:
Tonight, Huei-chean Ong, a student from Developing Virtue Girls School, will share her speech with the Assembly. She came out in first place during two rounds of the 65th annual student speakers contest sponsored by the Lions Clubs of California and Nevada. The topic was "Energy: What's the Future?"

HUEI-CHEAN ONG:
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Venerable Master: My name is Huei-chean Ong. Tonight, I would like to talk about "Energy and Its Future." If I make any mistakes, please correct me. We now live in a technological era where almost everything is being powered by energy. Man today relies on energy for a comfortable life. Now, if there were energy shortages for even a moment, computers would crash, important data would be lost, cash registers would stop, gas stations would not be able to work and lights would go out; the world would be at a momentary standstill. Energy is needed every second and it is so crucial that if there were a global energy shortage, the whole globe could quickly be drawn into the maelstrom.

There are two forms of energy: renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydropower, and non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels like natural gas and oil. Our primary source of energy today comes from fossil fuels. According to a World Energy Use Report, fossil fuels alone provided 75% of the energy worldwide in 1997. Every day, millions of barrels of oil are being consumed and the global demand for oil is increasing. Coal is supposed to last for a while but crude oil could be scarce by the year 2050 and natural gas may not last as long. Because of the heavy demand for oil and the decreasing supply, oil prices have gone up substantially and will most likely increase even more. A 1999 State of the World Report stated that approximately 80% of the oil produced today comes from fields discovered before 1973, where the supply is now declining. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEQ states that 40% of the petroleum produced today comes from their organization, which consists of several nations in the Middle East.  

According to a United Nations 1998 Human Development Report, the richest fifth of humanity uses 58% of the world's energy, while the poorest fifth uses less than 4%. That same UN report also states that the United States itself, which only accounts for 5% of the world's population, uses twice as much energy as Japan does and 12 times as much as China. Even so, some places in the US already face power shortages.

There is a huge gap between first world and third world nations, and a great difference between them in the amount of energy being used. These third world nations will need more energy as they are trying to propel themselves to be on par with developed countries. Taking into account the vast and increasing population in countries such as India and China, by the time these countries have become fully developed, much more energy will be needed. The amount of nonrenewable energy sources by then will have diminished to a great extent so other alternatives must be looked at.

Fossil fuels also cause heavy pollution such as oil spills, and air pollution. Even though fossil fuels are useful, they are also the main causes of death, diseases and environmental problems. As a matter of fact, more than 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere yearly by coal-fired power plants, thus worsening the greenhouse effect. This is a worldwide problem that has to be solved globally.

Renewable energy will last us much longer than fossil fuels. This energy comes from nature, including the sun, water and wind, which are environmentally friendly. The only problem is that these forms of energy are much more expensive to convert than fossil fuels and are not as easy to get to, like wind power which can only be collected in places with strong and steady winds. Nuclear power may be abundant but if any accidents were to happen at a power plant, the consequences could be disastrous. Geothermal is heat derived from the Earth's magma, but that can only be used if the magma flows close enough to the Earth's surface.

Clouds may block the sunlight, which requires large areas to collect at a sustainable rate. But yet, the sun is here to stay and Earth relies on the sun to live. Solar cells can be found more and more in buildings, calculators and even watches. Based on a 1999 State of the World Report, even though the cost for solar cells has dropped by 80% in the past two decades, it will still need to fall another 50-75% in order to compete with coal-fired electricity. Satellites in space also use solar energy powered by solar panels that always face the sun. With that idea, the development of a similar method may well be on its way.

Another feasible solution may be hydropower. But there is heavy competition for water. Water usage is doubling every twenty years and it is still in high demand. According to the World Bank, the wars of the next century will be about water. Energy companies are entering the water sector, investing billions of dollars to privatize energy and water.  

Water companies, instead, want to help solve the water scarcity problem in third world nations and are in a race with energy companies to control water. As a matter of interest, babies and children in some places drink Coca-Cola and Pepsi because the drinking water there is so scarce. Water scarcity therefore contributes to the profits of corporations. This is purely an act of personal benefit for CEOs.

Hydrogen is another source of power that may be used more than any of the others. Hydrogen comes from water and is separated out by solar power or electricity; it does not emit pollutants when burned. Scientists are trying to find cheaper ways to get to hydrogen. The world is filled with hydrogen and we will soon be able to tap the hydrogen in water and air in great abundance, seeing that it may be the next form of energy to dominate over fossil fuels.

Fuel cells run on natural gas, but they may soon be running on pure hydrogen, which can be stored in abundance, and liquid hydrogen can be used in place of kerosene for air transportation, keeping in mind that it is already used to propel rockets into space. Materials to store large amounts of hydrogen are now being built to be put into vehicles and for other applications. Amongst all the renewable sources, hydrogen may be the major energy carrier and storage medium. Ladies and gentlemen: The threat of fossil fuels extinction is real. Mankind must put aside personal benefit and start realizing that the future of energy is not as bright as it seems to be. As mentioned before, the supply of non-renewable energy in the long-term future will diminish, leaving only renewable energy. This problem can only be solved by our society's ability to surge forward in better development and advancements.

Bearing in mind that more technological advances are being made, that water covers 2/3 of the earth, that hydrogen is everywhere, and that the sun gives life to earth and is here to stay for the next couple of billions of years, this change may seem to be slowly moving but it will speed up. Take for example the transition from gas to electric lighting that was slow at first. A report stated that in 1910, only 10% of US houses had electricity, but in 1930, 80% had electricity and now, everyone here uses electricity. The future of this transition depends on everybody. Therefore, I strongly believe that in the long run, the future of energy lies in the hands of renewable energy and mankind. Thank you.