energy. Work funded by the US Department of Energy, termed the suggests we ‘Hirsch Report’, need 10–20 years of lead time before a global peak in oil production to prepare alternative infrastructure and new energy systems to avoid dramatic liquid fuel shortfalls (Hirsch 2005). Unfortunately, the alternatives proposed in that report, even were they to be timely oil shale, – tar sands, and coal-to-liquids using Fischer-Tropsch technology all have deleterious impacts on – environmental health (Jaramillo 2008). Development of energy systems from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, are considered an important priority use for our existing high net energy assets. However, the complexity of our daily routines cannot easily be replicated by sources with differing energy properties such as; net energy, gravimetric, volumetric and power densities, intermittency, temporal and spatial distribution, and volatility compared to fossil fuels (Cleveland 2007). Additionally, the recent bonanza of free energy has liberated historical constraints of human impact on the planet, as we have created and infrastructure ‘heat machines’ that impact in the pursuit of the modern barometer of relative fitness: magnifies energy’s economic growth. This pursuit has in turn accelerated impact on the through planet’s ecosystems measures of anthropogenic increases of carbon in the atmosphere, reduced depth of topsoil, water shortages, and myriad other environmental factors (Cleveland, 2007). Water is already a limiting resource in many contexts (Gleick 2000), and increasing human withdrawals will have a dramatic effect on the and biodiversity (Alcamo 2005). As such, energy earth’s ecosystems supply choices will have to be studied not only for the energy properties they exhibit, but also on their external impacts.
energy. Work funded by the US Department of Energy, termed the ‘Hirsch Report’, suggests we need 10–20 years of lead time before a global peak in oil production to prepare alternative infrastructure and new energy systems to avoid dramatic liquid fuel shortfalls (Hirsch 2005). Unfortunately, the alternatives proposed in that report, even were they to be timely – oil shale, tar sands, and coal-to-liquids using Fischer-Tropsch technology – all have deleterious impacts on environmental health (Jaramillo 2008). Development of energy systems from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, are considered an important priority use for our existing high net energy assets. However, the complexity of our daily routines cannot easily be replicated by sources with differing energy properties such as; net energy, gravimetric, volumetric and power densities, intermittency, temporal and spatial distribution, and volatility compared to fossil fuels (Cleveland 2007). Additionally, the recent bonanza of free energy has liberated historical constraints of human impact on the planet, as we have created ‘heat machines’ and infrastructure that magnifies energy’s impact in the pursuit of the modern barometer of relative fitness: economic growth. This pursuit has in turn accelerated impact on the planet’s ecosystems through measures of anthropogenic increases of carbon in the atmosphere, reduced depth of topsoil, water shortages, and myriad other environmental factors (Cleveland, 2007). Water is already a limiting resource in many contexts (Gleick 2000), and increasing human withdrawals will have a dramatic effect on the earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity (Alcamo 2005). As such, energy supply choices will have to be studied not only for the energy properties they exhibit, but also on their external impacts.
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