# Interest group forums > Energy and Resource Conservation Forum >  Zero carbon, zero waste city

## duncan drennan

This is a very interesting article about the Masdar Initiative in Abu Dhabi. Here is my favourite bit,




> Ã¢â¬ÅWe have decided to establish the Silicon Valley of renewables in Abu Dhabi,Ã¢â¬Â says Al Jaber. Ã¢â¬ÅWe want to cover the whole value chain - from research to labs to manufacturing to the deployment of technologies.Ã¢â¬Â
> ______
> 
> But he says he sees no irony in one of the worldÃ¢â¬â¢s biggest oil-exporting nations going green. The bottom line: itÃ¢â¬â¢s all about power and markets.
> 
> Ã¢â¬ÅAbu Dhabi recognizes that the global energy markets are evolving and are evolving with substantial growth in alternative energy,Ã¢â¬Â Al Jaber says. Ã¢â¬ÅItÃ¢â¬â¢s only going to go up. Does that make it a threat or an opportunity? ItÃ¢â¬â¢s a great opportunity if we invest in it now.Ã¢â¬Â


*"It's all about power and markets,"* compare that attitude with SA's - let's build more coal burning plants.

They have an aggressive forward thinking plan to remain in control of the energy market. Seems pretty smart to me.

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## Dave A

They also have the capital to make the investment right now. Why wait until their cash cow runs dry. Now is the time to set up the next one.

Forward thinking - just got to love it. Oh yeah, and the green side is cool too  :Wink:

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## duncan drennan

> They also have the capital to make the investment right now. Why wait until their cash cow runs dry. Now is the time to set up the next one.


I find this particular thing quite fascinating. I've read about this development before, but didn't give it much attention, or make any connection between an oil exporting nation and the development. It implies a whole lot.

In a way, it implies a concession that oil (in the long run) is not going to be their main source of income - sort of like a small validation that the peak oil theorists might be right.

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## Dave A

Why is Dubai plowing so much into developing other means of sustaining their economy?

They know. Maybe not when exactly but they know it'll come one day. 

If they don't diversify, they are as vulnerable as the business with one client that might decide to wander off elsewhere - or one underpinning technology that might become redundant.

It's why we must continue to reduce our dependence on our resources as a contributor to our economy too.

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## duncan drennan

> It's why we must continue to reduce our dependence on our resources as a contributor to our economy too.


So continuing that line of thought - what could South Africa's great opportunity be?

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