User:Erinebusby/sandbox

Article Evaluation

 * Renewable energy in Bhutan
 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you? Everything in the article is relevant, and there is nothing that distracted me.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position? The article is neutral.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented? No.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article? There are only two sources listed. One of them is a PDF that works and supports the claims in the article, the other link does not work.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted? No. The information is all coming from what looks like a school project on Bhutan.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Yes; the article only talks about hydro-power and goals for 2025. There is nothing about their wind turbines or the fact that Bhutan is carbon negative.
 * Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic? There are no conversations going on on the Talk page.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects? The article is rated stub-class. It is part of the WikiProject Bhutan and the WikiProject Energy.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class or the way you've seen it talked about in other spaces? It is much less thorough information than what I've seen in other spaces.

Renewable energy in Bhutan
I plan to add more on the history of renewable energy in Bhutan, and updated information on the types of renewable energy that are being used. In addition to these, I plan to add a section on Bhutan's carbon footprint and how they are now a carbon negative country.

History
Bhutan's commitment to renewable energy started in 1980. Six years later, the first hydropower plant opened in Chukha, followed by a plant in Kurichhu in 2001. Soon after that two more plants opened in Basochhu in 2005 and Tala in 2009. At COP 15 in 2009 (2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference), Bhutan made its first promise to remain completely carbon neutral ; they reaffirmed this promise at COP 21 in 2015 (2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference).

Hydroelectric power
Bhutan's first step into renewable energy was hydroelectric power. They first started by opening the first hydroelectric power plant in Chukha in 1986. They now have three more plants open: Kurichhu (2001), Basochhu (2005), and Tala (2009). Currently approximately 70% or 4.4 million tons of the hydroelectric power Bhutan produces is exported to India. Despite efforts to expand the types of renewable energy used in Bhutan, hydroelectric power is still the leading source of clean energy in the nation.

Other forms of renewable energy
After the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bhutan has been moving towards other forms of renewable energy so as to decrease their reliance on hydroelectric power during winter and dry months. Bhutan has increased their focus specifically in the areas of: windmills, biogas plants, solar power, and smaller hydropower plants. The initial plan was to install 24 wind turbines, however installation was halted after only two turbines due to citizens raising concerns about possible noise pollution. Since 2015, Bhutan has installed a 30 MW solar energy plant in Shingkhar in the Bumthang district; this plant was the first of its kind. There have also been approximately 13,500 stoves and 2,800 biogas plants installed throughout the country. In an effort to further spread the use of renewable energy and to decrease the country's carbon emissions, Bhutan also provides free electricity to rural farmers; this reduces the amount of fires/ gas they use to do their farm work. The government also subsidizes LED light bulbs and electric vehicles. Currently Bhutan's clean energy exports offset approximately 6 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Carbon neutrality
In a 2016 TED Talk, the Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay spoke about how Bhutan is the only country able to claim the title of "carbon negative". This means that though the nation produces about 2.2 million tons of CO2, the forests offset more than 4 million tons of CO2. They are able to do this because over 72% of their country is under the cover of their forests, a constitutional mandate of the nation.

Goals and commitments
At the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bhutan made their first promise to remain carbon neutral; they again made this promise at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference. As of 2016, the clean energy Bhutan exported offset roughly 6 million tons of CO2; it is their goal to export enough clean energy to offset 17 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2020. In his 2016 TED Talk, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay stated that if Bhutan was able to harness even half of the potential hydroelectric power, they would be able to offset roughly 50 million tons of carbon dioxide, more than New York City produces in one year.