Stephen G. Benka
The Energy Challenge
energy lies heart physics study nature energy various manifestations transformation one form another transfer one place anotheras commodity energy also central many economic environmental issues primarily guise electricity combustibles energy hardly given second thought global consumption energy staggering hinted issues cover without doubt usage also large effect environment us department energy doe projects 1 1 report available httpwwweiadoegovoiafieo worlds total energy consumption rise 59 1999 2020 382 607 quads quad one quadrillion 1015 btu 1018 joules approximately 3 1011 kilowatt hours report predicts 20year increase carbon dioxide emissions similar 60 609 976 billion metric tons equivalent carbon population increase 60 75 billion people growth three areas take place rapidly developing parts worldfinding supply meet demand herculean task yet one part energy challenge global needs must met environmentally sound ways energy must used great efficiency face global warming geopolitical realities clear technological leaps strong policies large investments requiredhuman development energy sectionchoosetop pagehuman development ene indispensable science andreferencesciting articlesindustrialized nations found energy often mean wealth often always nations population grows additional energy may simply used keep citizens even lower standard living however efficient ways found provide use additional energy chance actually improving standard livingthe united nations compiles annual statistics human development environment 174 countries 2 2 united nations development programme undp human development report 1999 oxford u press new york 1999 statistics relate energy use life expectancy nutrition health income poverty education co2 emissions three indicators combined calculate human development index hdi indicators longevity measured life expectancy educational attainment measured combination adult literacy twothirds weight combined primary secondary tertiary enrollment ratio onethird weight standard living measured discounted gross domestic product gdp per capita uns hdi considered many fair measure basic human wellbeingalan pasternak lawrence livermore national laboratory recently looked energy usage 60 populous countries un hdi nations contain 90 earths population 3 3 pasternak global energy futures human development framework analysis lawrence livermore national laboratory rep ucrlid140773 october 2000 found correlation electricity consumption hdi see figure analysis showed hdi reached high plateau nations people consumed 4000 kwh electricity annually per capita value unchanged 1980 1997 data correlation perfect end countrys situation unique still pasternak concludes reaching goal basic human wellbeing poor countries require significantly greater global consumption electricity primary energy projections 2020 doe others world agrees goal working solve energy challenge even imperativewe speaking global generalities consideration global energy challenge ignore presence impact us 1999 less 5 worlds population us generated 30 worlds gdp consumed 25 worlds energy emitted 25 worlds co2 97 quads consumed us 1999 80 came oil natural gas coalfossil fuels articles follow special issue give international uniquely us perspectivesindispensable science technology sectionchoosetop pagehuman development eneindispensable science referencesciting articlesa 1996 presidents committee council advisors science technology pcast report president bill clinton said adequate reliable supplies affordable energy obtained environmentally sustainable ways essential economic prosperity environmental quality political stability around world energysupply energyefficiency technologies represent multihundredbillion dollar per year global market 4 4 j p holdren f baldwin annual review energy environment 26 391 2001 technologies discussed special issue however viewed isolation one element overall energy picture many promising technologies address several objectives simultaneouslyfusion notably absent special issue offers great potential abundant clean energy practical implementation still lies decades future number scientific engineering issues still must resolved even economic realities addressed physics today continue follow progress fusions march toward maturityin meeting energy challenges technology policy beginning page 40 ernest moniz melanie kenderdine provide indepth look complex web issues permeate energy challenge note technologies contribute longterm solutions point proper support policymakers host approaches could help meet economic security environmental imperatives fossil fuels provide 85 worlds energy myriad technological developments challenges relevant fossilfuel industries worthy attention example much physics involved resource extraction processing transportation combustion end uses roughly half electricity used us comes coal attendant environmental impacts sulfur dioxide emissions reduced cleancoal gasification technologies take us much focus oil gas exploration importance oil transportation energyconsuming sectors hardly overstated natural gas often found reservoirs oil physics oil exploration page 48 brian clark robert kleinberg look physics geology petroleum formations discuss many physicsbased technologies used locate oil gas surprising development extendedreach horizontal drilling allows single relatively small facility extract petroleum reserves kilometers away often avoiding need multiple wellswith virtually entire existing energyrelated infrastructure designed fossil fuels seems certain world continue rely heavily hydrocarbon combustion foreseeable future cannot ignore longterm impacts continued hydrocarbon combustion however must develop alternative energy sources major difficulty finding longterm energy solutions prevalence shortterm vision corporate political sectors scientific community need similarly constrained remaining three articles issue look promising alternatives fossil fuels new designs nuclear renaissance page 54 gail marcus alan levin give brief history age nuclear energy take us first halting steps power plants currently drawing boards great strides made improving safety efficiency nonproliferation cost newest designs even allow greatly reduced radioactive waste streams production hydrogen fuel little doubt nuclear energy major component hydrocarbonfree energy production public political concerns adequately addressedsamuel baldwin looks closely renewable energy progress prospects page 62 notes since 197374 oil embargo significant technical market advances renewables occurred example cost electricity solar photovoltaic wind systems come order magnitude capacities systems increased integrated bioenergy refineries producing highvalue chemicals fuel power also offer great potential offset oil use generate jobs income rural areashydrogen fuel future page 69 joan ogden perhaps forwardlooking articles offers one promising longterm solutions energyrelated environmental supply problems hydrogen burned efficiently emitting low levels nitrogen oxides also used fuel cell even greater efficiency emit water widespread use however still requires answers number technical economic infrastructure questionsthe global energy challenge daunting many aspects technical environmental economic social political aspects many parts numerous feedback loops within look different viewed nationally internationally though daunting challenge met future generations appreciate efforts human development index measure basic human wellbeing used united nations reaches plateau 4000 kilowatt hours annual electricity use per capita sixty nations analyzed representing 90 earths populationadapted ref 3ppthigh resolutionrelated readings physics today statistical physics sedimentary rock pozen wong december 1988 page 24 fuel cells energy conversion next century sivan kartha patrick grimes november 1994 page 54 industrial ecology minimizing impact industrial waste robert frosch november 1994 page 63 power applications hightemperature superconductors gloria lubkin march 1996 page 48 build international thermonuclear experimental reactor andrew sessler thomas stix marshall rosenbluth june 1996 page 21 special issue radioactive waste guest editor john ahearne june 1997 technologies reduce carbon dioxide emissions next decade arthur rosenfeld tina kaarsberg joseph romm november 2000 page 29 solid acids show potential fuel cell electrolytes july 2001 page 22 magnetically confined fusion breaks pressure barrier september 2001 page 18related readings physics today statistical physics sedimentary rock pozen wong december 1988 page 24 fuel cells energy conversion next century sivan kartha patrick grimes november 1994 page 54 industrial ecology minimizing impact industrial waste robert frosch november 1994 page 63 power applications hightemperature superconductors gloria lubkin march 1996 page 48 build international thermonuclear experimental reactor andrew sessler thomas stix marshall rosenbluth june 1996 page 21 special issue radioactive waste guest editor john ahearne june 1997 technologies reduce carbon dioxide emissions next decade arthur rosenfeld tina kaarsberg joseph romm november 2000 page 29 solid acids show potential fuel cell electrolytes july 2001 page 22 magnetically confined fusion breaks pressure barrier september 2001 page 18referencessectionchoosetop pagehuman development eneindispensable science andreferences citing articles1 report available httpwwweiadoegovoiafieo google scholar2 united nations development programme undp human development report 1999 oxford u press new york 1999 google scholarcrossref3 pasternak global energy futures human development framework analysis lawrence livermore national laboratory rep ucrlid140773 october 2000 google scholar4 j p holdren f baldwin annual review energy environment 26 391 2001 google scholarcrossref 2002 american institute physics