Citation/Reference Information
The journal title, article title, author(s) names, year of publication, volume and issue/number, beginning page and last page, are all important because they will be needed for citations and your reference page.
Energy Policy
Article title
Energy Policies of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – possibilities and limitations of ecological modernization in rentier states
Volume Number: 38 Number: 5
First Page Number: 2395 Last Page Number: 2403
Purpose
Why do you think the author(s) wrote this article? What is its purpose? Does the article present research results? Does it present an opinion? Is it a general article on a particular topic−if so, why do you think the author(s) wrote it? Do not just write, “Because they wanted to discuss [the topic].” That is obvious.
What is the research question(s)/thesis (statement)/primary argument/ claim made by the author(s)? This may be explicitly stated, or you may need to infer from the written text.
The article claims that the GCC countries would significantly benefit from ecological change in the energy sector as ecological modernization would sustain energy efficiency and renewable energy sources that the GCC can utilize for development, especially for rentier states. The research questions the article listed are the following: (1) what are the political obstacles to ecological modernization in the GCC? (2) What is the role of the GCC on an international level in the negotiations of the UNFSS? (3) What is the role of the GCC on a regional level? (4) Are there any strategies or policies for renewable energies and energy efficiency within the GCC countries on a domestic level?
Where do you first find the research question/thesis/primary argument/claim in the article?
The research questions, thesis, arguments and claims for the article are written in the Theory and Methodology section.
What is the context that indicates to you that this is the research question/thesis/primary argument/claim?
Given the nature of the article title, these research questions and primary argument points out how the role of the GCC would influence the member countries in terms of their policy strategies on energy sustainability and efficiency. The research questions would illustrate how the GCC can utilize its power to improve ecological change and modernization even outside their territories.
Why is the research question/thesis/primary argument/claim significant?
The members of the GCC comprises the six Arab states that are known major oil and natural gas producing countries, in this end, they are also one of the top contributors to pollution in the world. With this fact in mind, there is a necessity to create policies within these region that would sustain ecological sustainability to reduce the impact of climate change and limited resources for power.
Where was the article published (briefly explain the type of journal, its purpose, etc.). Who do you think is the intended audience of the article?
The article has been published in the International Journal of the Political, Economic, Planning, Environmental and Social Aspects of Energy or Energy Policy, a peer-reviewed journal that concentrates in policies involving energy supplies and how it would impact a country. Intended readers of the article are lawmakers, scholars and even students who wish to understand how policies directed to energy policy in the Gulf region impact the political, economic, planning, environmental and social aspects of each member country of the GCC.
Overall Organization of the Article
How many sections are there? What are the section titles?
The article is divided into ten sections: Introduction, Theory and Methodology, Benefit of climate protection policies for GCC countries, Structural restrictions for climate protection policies in the GCC, Governance of the GCC Countries, GCC on an international level, GCC on a regional level, Bilateral programs, GCC on national level, and Conclusion
How many other scholars’ work is referenced in the article? :
Not including organization reports, the article referenced 36 different scholars.
How did the author(s) use the work of other scholars in the article? Were they used for background (i.e., in a literature review), were they used to support and illustrate what the author was writing about, other? Explain.
Keywords
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Renewable Energy; Energy Efficiency
Research/Position Methods
If this is a research article (presenting original research), describe the type of research method used to collect data for the study.
The research method used in the article was a descriptive-qualitative method as the article details several situations as to how the GCC countries applied new environment friendly/ ecologically modern policies to their constituents. The data is also collected to indicate the challenges the GCC faces in applying new policy frameworks and how their ideas should be shared with the regional and international level.
If this article addresses a thesis/primary argument/claim, describe the way in which the author(s) go about discussing the thesis/primary argument/claim. Does the author(s) present other positions and analyze/debate those positions? How?
Evidence
What evidence does the author(s) provide in support of the research question/thesis/primary argument/claim? What is the nature of each piece of supporting evidence? For example, is it based on empirical research, other scholars’ work, ethical consideration, common knowledge?
How strong is the evidence? For example, does the research design adequately address the research question/thesis/primary argument/claim? Are the ethical considerations adequately explored and assessed? Have you read or heard anything on this subject that confirms or challenges the evidence?
The evidences identified are strong as the GCC, as analyzed in the article, has a strong potential in improving its stance in ecological modernization and overall outlook in climate change policies and energy policies. What the GCC needs is to take a look at various models across the world that would enable it to tweak them to fit the GCC context and utilize it in their system. The research design the article had used had provided a clear framework on how the GCC could improve on the available policies directed to energy and climate change and benefit from it, including the limitations and complications that may arise throughout the process. The ethical considerations had also been touched, outlining where the GCC should stay in terms on the application of these policies. The article had also provided some examples that confirms the possible effectiveness of the evidences and claims identified.
Results/Conclusions
If the article is a research study, what are the results of the study? How was the research question answered? For a thesis, was the thesis statement supported or not? For other articles, what conclusions that the author(s) make? Provide specific details.
The study concluded that the GCC had already started in its steps to adopt a more pro-active approach to address environmental issues in all levels, however, there is still work to be done in improving the ecological modernization programs it hopes to achieve. Currently, the GCC still has issues to resolve like the higher taxes on energy consumption and the regime differences that causes GCC governments to fear possible changes in these policies.
Effectiveness
Was the article difficult to read and understand? If so, why? If not, why not?
The article was easy to understand because it had provided several good arguments on how the GCC can revolutionize the energy policy in the region and improve their image as one of the pro-active states fighting for renewable energy sources and new ecological improvements to their policy agenda.
How well were you able to follow the sequence of the article from research question/thesis/primary argument/claim to the evidence? How did the overall organization, structure of sentences and paragraphs guide you and help you to understand the author’s intent?
It was quite easy to follow the sequence of the article as it provided the arguments easily by providing supporting claims and studies that showed the GCC’s capacity to improve their policy agenda on the environment. The organization also showed that the GCC, or any other nation for that matter, can make a difference if only they realize the importance of the issue and they, as emission sources, can help in reducing the impact of global warming in the globe.
Did the material seem relevant to the points made? Explain.
The article was relevant to the point of more active organizations to counter climate change as today, the world needs governments to lead on the fight against the issue. Without governments identifying clearer and more environmentally-friendly policies for the people to follow or try on, there is a high possibility that the difficulties on resolving climate change and energy deficit would continue. As members of a powerful trading union and as six of the leading oil sources of the globe, the GCC must become proactive in imposing solutions to enable energy sustainability in their region which would also infuse development in all aspects of their countries.
