Netherlands Section News

The Dutch SPE YP section started a new format to boost attendance at monthly lectures. The section came up with the idea of “SPE Young Professional Lectures by Young Professionals.” A presentation titled “Greenpeace Energy Revolution Stops Climate Change and Boosts Economy” was given by Joris Thijssen, a YP who is employed by Greenpeace Netherlands and holds an MS degree in aerospace engineering from Delft University of Technology. This is a summary of the presentation:

If global temperatures rise more than 2ºC, the world is in for extreme weather events, more severe droughts, and floods; billions of lives will be affected. A report by the British economist Nicolas Stern shows that economies would not be safe, either. He calls upon governments to spend 1% of their national incomes on the mitigation of climate change, and says that for every Eurodollar that is spent now, it may prevent EUR 5 being spent on adaptation and reacting to climate-caused damage later this century. The Greenpeace “energy revolution” made by German aerospace laboratories shows that when energy is used in a smarter way and when clean energy sources are used to their full potential, climate change can be prevented. A study by the University of Rotterdam shows that this energy scenario could have positive effects on employment with the right policies. The report also shows that there are possible economic benefits to be gained for offshore technology, biomass logistics, energy-efficiency technologies, and solar panels if The Netherlands moves fast.

—Mustapha Bouhdaid, Reservoir Engineer, Shell International E&P