ENERGY REVOLUTION: An international panel of experts recommends carbon capture and storage from coal-fired power plants, in addition to more efficient coal burning, as key technology solutions to global warming.
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The Best Science Writing Online 2012
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Both Brazilian sugarcane farmers who turn excess to ethanol and Chinese city dwellers who enjoy hot tea thanks to solar water heaters don't realize it but they are at the forefront of what an international panel of scientists hopes the future will look like. The Amsterdam-based InterAcademy Council—a group that represents 150 national scientific and engineering academies—released a report this week detailing how countries can shift from burning coal and other greenhouse-gas emitting fuels to cleaner energy while also introducing modern forms of energy to the billions worldwide who rely on charcoal, firewood or even dung as their fuel.
Some "1.6 billion people don't have access to electricity," notes physicist and Nobel laureate Steven Chu, director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California and co-chair of the panel that wrote the report, commissioned by the governments of China and Brazil. "The energy problem means different things to different people."
In the developed world, "conservation and energy efficiency will remain for the next several decades the most important thing the world can do to get on a sustainable energy path," he adds. Developing countries, such as China and Brazil, need "to leapfrog well past what we did in the West, like in the U.S., where we have sprawling suburbia and long commutes."
The report—"Lighting the Way: Toward a Sustainable Energy Future"—addresses the challenge of bringing modern energy to everyone, while reining in global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Currently, according to the International Energy Agency, the world is on a path to a 40 percent increase in oil-burning alone by 2030 that will lead to a concomitant rise in CO2 emissions of 55 percent.
As it stands, fossil fuels, primarily coal and oil, supply around 80 percent of the world's energy needs, and known reserves of coal alone could power the world at current consumption levels for several centuries. But burning such fuels accounts for more than eight billion metric tons of CO2 entering the atmosphere yearly.
The report calls for a massive investment—doubling the current worldwide energy research and development budget of roughly $9 billion—as well as implementation during the next decade of improved energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage technology, and deployment of renewable energy sources. "Energy conservation would be a first priority—through transportation, lifestyle and also building," says panel member Li Jinghai, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
But the "cornerstone" of any sustainable energy future, according to panel member Ged Davis, co-president of global energy assessment at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, will be carbon capture and storage. "We still are a long ways from any sense of commerciality," he says.
In order to get technologies, such as integrated gasification and combined cycle coal power plants with carbon capture and storage, into the economic mainstream, a carbon price is needed. The panel estimates the necessary price would be $100 to $150 per metric ton of carbon, or $27 to $41 per metric ton of CO2. "We are now doing a little bit [of carbon capture and storage], but it's mostly at the level of enhanced oil recovery, several million tons per year," Chu says. "If this is going to be a significant part of controlling carbon emissions, it would have to be on the scale of one [billion] to 10 billion tons per year."
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7 Comments
Add Comment1.6 billion people use kerosene for home lighting; using solar based LED lighting one can prevent this; check out www.suryabijlee.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe U.S runs on an electric grid. Many forms of electrical generation are used to sustain this grid, which in turn powers all of our energy needs, except cars. We have all the parts for electric cars and trucks. We only need to start creating more American jobs by designing and building electric cars. After a few short years and a very small amount of government funding, the electric hybrids are already challenging the internal combustion engine. Just imagine if America really wanted to help save the planet, starting with electric vehicles!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou state that "...as it stands ...fossil fuels supply around 80% of the worlds energy needs...". Scientific American Special Issue, Sept 2006, P. 87 showed a pie chart that Nuclear & Hydroelectric plants each produce 17% (34% total) of the world's electrical power. Where do you obtain the 80% value from?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this. In Canada, Hydropower produces greater than 60% of their electrical needs with a number of new plants being developed. In Iceland and Norway, Hydropower produces greater than 95% of their electrical needs.. In the U.S., it is in the range of 12% due to our strong environmental lobby, and their peculiar penchant to foster wind/solar/biomass, but not Hydroelectric generation. There are currently over 80,000 dams in the U.S. utilized for flood control/navigation/irrigation/municipal water supplies/etc.; but only 3% of these "existing"dams have hydroelectric power production associated with them. This means that we could easily increase our present "renewable" hydroelectric power
To: Whom it may concern,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDear, Madam/Ser,
:
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo: Whom it may concern,
Dear, Madam/Ser,
:
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Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time at zoff@cg.yu or on ++38267504630.
The only I am asking for advice whom to contact if you know. Also before all I do need advise how to PROTECT my idea.
P.S. Believe me this is not nonsense or so called spam, also this will be surprise to all i.e. a BIG BANG but extremely positive one.
Best regards,
Mr.Zoran Vorotovic
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo: Whom it may concern,
Dear, Madam/Ser,
:
I do have unique idea how to stop global warming now. This idea is not expensive, easily workable, and I am very surprise how that no one realized by now. Where we will benefit : Global Warming will stop immediately, Sea level will stop rising and in late stage will lover, this will also stop twisters and will also healed black holes in ozone, plus it will bring back climate as was in early 1900 etc.etc.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time at zoff@cg.yu or on ++38267504630.
The only I am asking for advice whom to contact if you know. Also before all I do need advise how to PROTECT my idea.
P.S. Believe me this is not nonsense or so called spam, also this will be surprise to all i.e. a BIG BANG but extremely positive one.
Best regards,
Mr.Zoran Vorotovic
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo: Whom it may concern,
Dear, Madam/Ser,
:
I do have unique idea how to stop global warming now. This idea is not expensive, easily workable, and I am very surprise how that no one realized by now. Where we will benefit : Global Warming will stop immediately, Sea level will stop rising and in late stage will lover, this will also stop twisters and will also healed black holes in ozone, plus it will bring back climate as was in early 1900 etc.etc.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time at zoff@cg.yu or on ++38267504630.
The only I am asking for advice whom to contact if you know. Also before all I do need advise how to PROTECT my idea.
P.S. Believe me this is not nonsense or so called spam, also this will be surprise to all i.e. a BIG BANG but extremely positive one.
Best regards,
Mr.Zoran Vorotovic