The Alternative Energy Revolution - Separating The Hype From Reality
...Separating the Hype from the Reality
Xie Shangqian (shangqianx.2005@business.smu.edu.sg)
3rd year student, Bachelor of Business Management
Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University
Executive Summary
The age of alternative energy is dawning upon us. Wind power, geothermal energy, solar energy,
hydropower, nuclear power, fuel cells and bioenergy -all of them come with their own set of
developmental challenges, implications and opportunities. Understanding these issues will allow us an
insight into a world where alternative energy is no longer the alternative but the only solution to a
sustainable world.
This paper was reviewed by Daren Li, Isaac Chen and Shaun Lee with guidance from Dr. Gurinder Shahi
A) Introduction
The era of cheap oil has ended. At least that is how the trend has been playing out for the past two years.
The modern world built around crude oil is now reeling from its unprecedented surge in prices -a stark
reminder that too little investment and effort has been made on finding a suitable substitute. The world is
taking notice. The annual investment in CleanTech companies grew more than 500% between 2005 and
2007 (National Venture Capitalists Association, 2007), a clear signal that people now believe in the
power of alternative solutions to our energy problems.
A revolution is defined as “a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving”(WordNet
Princeton). An Alternative Energy Revolution would represent a time of dramatic paradigm shifts on how
people view alternative energy and react accordingly-the current state of affairs now.
This paper will attempt to shed light on this powerful movement that could radically change how the
world uses its energy resources.
The first two parts of the paper aim to equip the reader with a basic understanding...
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