Senior visiting research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Dr Shihab-Eldin joins us on The afikra Podcast to discuss his extensive career in nuclear and solar energy research, particularly his work in Kuwait on pioneering solar energy projects. We explore the challenges and potential of transitioning away from fossil fuels, the energy trilemma of affordability, security, and sustainability, and the role of decarbonization technologies. Dr Shihab-Eldin also reflects on the historical and future perspectives of energy supply and demand, the impact of carbon emissions, and the viability of nuclear power. We conclude with a discussion on climate change impacts in the Arab world and the necessity of international cooperation for future energy solutions.
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Early Career and Solar Energy Initiatives
04:10 Challenges and Opposition to Solar Energy
05:37 Energy Reserves and Future Predictions
09:19 The Energy Trilemma
11:57 Environmental Impact and Efficiency
23:40 Global Emissions and Climate Change
29:51 Global Race and Industrialization
31:04 Direct Air Capture Technology
33:33 Scaling and Cost Challenges
34:33 Political Will and Global Cooperation
40:35 Renewable Energy and Solar Power
43:59 Global Warming and Climate Change in the Arab World
54:11 Nuclear Energy: Past, Present and Future
59:24 Final Thoughts
Adnan Shihab-Eldin is a senior visiting research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and a board member of the Kearney Energy Transition Institute. A former research physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, he has held academic and visiting positions at institutions such as Kuwait University, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and CERN. He previously served as director general and board member of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, and held senior roles at organizations including the IAEA, UNESCO, and OPEC. A long-standing member of the World Federation of Scientists’ Energy Permanent Monitoring Panel, he also co-chairs its Management of Catastrophic Risks panel. Shihab-Eldin has received numerous honors, including the IAEE’s 2023 award for Outstanding Contributions, the 2022 Spirit of Salam Award, and UC Berkeley’s 2017 Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award.
Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns
Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
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