Reducing Pollution from Energy Plants in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example

The government and environmental lobby groups have fought for the use of alternative sources of energy that strive to reduce pollution. Therefore, this study will aim at finding out the possible ways that pollution can be reduced in Saudi Arabia, by exploring all the alternative sources of energy that are environmentally friendly and have minimal effects on the environment.

Project Description:
This project will seek to find out how burning fuel causes pollution, and how the pollution can be minimized. Additionally, it will explore various problems brought about by pollution and the strategies employed by the government, NGOs, and environmental lobby groups to help alleviate these problems.

Background:
Saudi Arabia is considered to be the largest consumer of petroleum and its products in the Middle East. This consumption occurs mainly in areas of fuel transportation, as well as direct burning of fuel for the generation of power. The huge consumption of energy has compelled Saudi Arabia to set goals aimed at making it produce half of the energy that they consume. This energy is being produced from renewable fuels so that the domestic power needs can be met, and at the same time freeing up oil and natural gas for export. The burning of fuels has greatly affected the country since it has led to massive production of carbon dioxide emissions that pollute the environment.

The pollution caused by burning fuels has contributed to several problems affecting Saudi Arabians. These problems range from adverse health complications to severe weather conditions. It is a fact that these problems can be prevented if better strategies that produce energy in an environmentally friendly way are put in place. These problems have prompted the need to assess the causes of pollution, as well as the ways that can be used to minimize them. In doing this, the petrochemical plant, Riyadh PP11 is best suited to help with the findings for this study. This is attributed to the fact that it constitutes fifteen percent of the kingdom’s Central region power generation capacity (Anon 2012).


Aim and Outcomes:
• Determine possible ways of minimizing the pollution caused by energy plants.
• Establish why pollution is a major problem in the country.
• Determine the problems caused by pollution as a result of burning fuel and assess the ways of alleviating the problems.


Methodology:
In this section, there will be a presentation of the methods that the study employs. The sections that this methodology will address include the research design and population, as well as the sample and sampling techniques, together with data collection and analysis.

The study will collect both primary and secondary data. The primary data will be collected using semi-structured questionnaires, which will be administered using the drop and pick method. Questionnaires will be used because they allow respondents to give their responses in a free environment, as well as help the researcher get vital information, which would not have been given out had interviews been used (Kothari 2004). Secondary data will be collected from the internet and any other relevant publications and journals.

Questionnaires will be used to obtain fundamental data because of their convenience in eliciting a quick response, excellent in quantifying responses, and are of low cost. The questionnaire will contain questions that are semi-structured, close-ended, and a few open-ended questions (Gatara 2010). These types of questions will be accompanied by a list of possible alternatives from which respondents will be required to select answers that best describe their situations, as well as give their opinions.
Scope of the project agreed (please sign and pass to Course Coordinator who will sign and return to academic supervisor for return to the student at next meeting)