Uncertainties Of Real World Policymaking : An Example From The Indonesia 's Energy Conversion

Conference Focus: Implement a new policy within five years to move into renewable energy, with a focus on solar power, while decreasing the use of fossil fuels. This policy will examine the barriers to implement new renewable energy technologies that will decrease the carbon dioxide emissions and identify ways to overcome these barriers through incentives, tax breaks, and attitudinal changes.

Recent doubt in country’s energy supply as a result of political concerns in the Middle East nations, and other foreign oil generating nations, also volatility in the prices of oil, and natural gas have contributed to increase country’s energy independence through a greater local energy supply and to minimize the greater effects of the economy from any prices fluctuation in the fossil fuel markets, including the natural gas price hike in 2004 and 2005 cyclone

In Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making (Stone, 2011), the author uses two versions of the political world (the polis and the market) to highlight the paradoxes in political action while also showing the ineffectiveness of many political theoretical frameworks. Stone describes the market as being comprised of individuals who pursue their own personal welfare through their interactions with others; rationality rules in this theoretical construct and people’s decisions can be easily deduced based on what will most benefit them. In contrast to the rational model of politics outlined in the market, Stone asserts that true politics is far more complex. Voters and politicians in the polis are not always well-informed on an issue. They do not always make decisions that would be considered “rational” and most highly benefitting themselves. They have loyalties and compassion for others and their decisions are based on a number of social interactions with other groups and individuals. For me, the biggest claim that Stone makes throughout the book is that other political models are too simplistic in describing the political environment and the human interaction that takes place within it.

In conclusion the EIA is both a technical and valued based policy. The technicality of the EIA creates a means for the policy to fit into an already technocratic system. Where miniscule distinctions, regulations and expert opinions are the norm. The value based and anthropocentric focus of the EIA proves democracy for and by the people still has the potential to succeed. As a group of citizens created an issue advocate organization with the purpose of asking the people of Washington what they wanted their energy future to look like. The messy, convoluted, objective and subjective process is democracy at

Thirdly, economists claim that command and control policies are written by the EPA and legislators hence there exists a possibility that the policy might be politically compromised or biased (Hall., et al. (2013). In most cases, existing firms often lobby that stricter environmental standards should not be applicable to them but for infant, firms wishing to start production. Hence, real world environmental laws are filled with loopholes

of which with energy price and emissions regulations are significant. To address these uncertainties and

Regarding the topics discussed in the introductory public policy course, Lindblom expans upon questions revolving around how “good” policy is measured. Bickers and Williams, co-authors of Introduction to Public Policy, discuss several ways in which the “good” policy question can be assessed. For instance, administrators can use the theories of Harold Lasswell which propose a democratic process to policy decision making whereby all parties are represented and outcomes are distributed among all contending groups. Administrators could follow Pareto’s policy suggestion that states that a policy can be considered “good” if no person is worse off and at least one person is better off. Lastly, the Kaldor-Hicks criterion, in essence, assumes a Pareto-superior approach to policy

There are a variety of major structures and process involved in policy making. Sometimes issues and debates are created, over how power is distributed or exercised.

Policy is often considered in terms of a series of directives to be followed or instructions to be carried out; an authoritarian, top-down way of governing conduct; directed ‘at’ and ‘for’ people. But this ignores the importance of persuasion and consent in any successful policy initiative, at least within democratic societies. To be successful – that is, to be accepted and implemented – policy must also work ‘with’ people, appealing to the values, which they hold, and the expectations they have for the future. It must win at least the tacit support of others. Davies (2010) describes the process of policy formulation in terms of ‘negotiation’:

The increasing demand for palm oil on the markets, has begun an economic competition between large companies to gain access to these resources. Palm oil can only can only grow in climate conditions around the equator. Companies are racing for this profitable land before it has already been claimed. The Indonesian government began to issue permits to big companies for the production of palm oil, and the results are catastrophic. Indonesia is now under a widespread burning of tropical rainforests and peat lands to develop palm oil plantations, and many are saying the crisis is one of the largest sources of carbon pollution today. “It is estimated that the fires are producing more carbon pollution than the entire daily emissions of the united states.” (Allen,2015) The immense scale and extreme implications of this tragic

The term Green energy refers to energy sources which have less injurious impacts on the environment in comparison with the traditional sources of fuel such petroleum, coal, natural gas etc. The use of green energy is intended to produce power without causing much harm to the natural habitat and also in a rather pollution free manner. Indonesia has been taking measures and been involved in policy reforms meant for facilitating the use of green energy. Various projects have been initiated in this regard. In the case of Green energy, the typical forces of demand and supply are activated and this industry is becoming excessively lucrative from investment point of view.

Our species as a whole is very successful in many advancements such as technology, in society all together, and just overall in life but, currently we are failing our environment. Since our world is an immense place that consumes so much energy our demand is high. The ultimate goal is to no longer rely on nonrenewable energy sources, which we so strongly rely on today. Baby Steps are being taken but it is not enough.

According to Nazamuddin (2008) explained that the oil and natural gas dollar from Aceh were controlled fully by a centralized authority in Jakarta for many years. Only three per cent f the total revenues from Aceh’s oil and natural gas included all related taxes returned in the form of central government’s transfers to the poor province. Then only in 2002 when the earlier special autonomy law took effect that Aceh received a seventy per cent of oil share and natural gas revenues. Infrastructure in Aceh was and remained poor. 25 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. They were rich in natural resources however with poor infrastructure and public services and centralized authorities added with poverty and lack of opportunities have been the factors of the conflict. Some of these

Energy policy and plans are laid out with two kinds of objectives viz. Means objectives and Final objectives. The final objectives are ultimate goals of reducing the negative impacts of climate change and creating a sustainable human environment that is progressive. The means objectives are intermediate steps laid out to achieve the final objective. There are three means objectives laid out by MacKay that are commonly accepted viz. Environment/Safety (human dimension), Energy security and Economic development. The Environment/Safety involves factors such as Green House Gases (GHG’s), NOx, SOx, ash, Hg, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), Particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), Thermal shock, radioactive waste, land use, etc. Energy security

Growing number of studies (e.g. (Kowsari and Zerriffi, 2011; O. R. Masera et al., 2000)) investigate the impacts of various factors such as household income, and education status that would influence household cooking fuel choice and then inform the policies to promote fuel switching to the modern sources. Mainly, two broad conceptual models are popular in the area of household energy choice and fuel transition in developing countries: Energy Ladder and Energy Stacking Models (Elias and Victor, 2005; Hosier and Dowd, 1987; Leach, 1992; Leach and Mearns, 1988; O. Masera et al., 2000). These models categorize energy resources into modern, transitional and traditional fuels given that different cooking fuels are available in the region. Modern fuels such as LPG or electricity are interpreted as superior because the inherent qualities of these fuels are relatively superior in terms of fuel efficiency and sustainability when compared to the traditional fuels. Transitional fuels are consumed during the transitional period; a period where traditional fuels are in the process of being replaced by the modern fuels.