Sustainable Fossil Fuels

More and more people believe we must quickly wean ourselves from fossil fuels - oil, natural gas and coal - to save the planet from environmental catastrophe, wars and economic collapse. In this 2006 book, Professor Jaccard argues that this view is misguided. We have the technological capability to use fossil fuels without emitting climate-threatening greenhouse gases or other pollutants. The transition from conventional oil and gas to their unconventional sources including coal for producing electricity, hydrogen and cleaner-burning fuels will decrease energy dependence on politically unstable regions. In addition, our vast fossil fuel resources will be the cheapest source of clean energy for the next century and perhaps longer, which is critical for the economic and social development of the world's poorer countries. By buying time for increasing energy efficiency, developing renewable energy technologies and making nuclear power more attractive, fossil fuels will play a key role in humanity's quest for a sustainable energy system.

More and more people believe we must quickly wean ourselves from oil, natural gas and coal to save the planet from wars, environmental catastrophe and economic collapse. Jaccard controversially argues that fossil fuels will play a key role in our quest for a sustainable energy system.

An easy read, balancing the pros and cons, this book surveys the energy issue from a broad scientific perspective while considering environmental, economic, and social factors. It explains the basic concepts, provides a historical overview of energy resources, assesses our unsustainable energy system based on fossil fuels, and shows that the energy crisis is not only a tough challenge, but also an unprecedented opportunity to become more concerned about the world in which we live and the society we have built up. By outlining the alternatives for today and the future, it gives an extensive overview on nuclear energy, solar thermal and photovoltaics, solar fuels, wind power, ocean energies and other renewables, highlighting the increasing importance of electricity and the long-term perspectives of a hydrogen-based economy. An excellent source of updated and carefully documented information on the entangled aspects of the energy issue, this book is a guide for scientists, students and teachers looking for ways out of the energy and climate crisis, and the problems and disparities generated during the fossil fuel era.

Energy Sustainability is a subject with many dimensions that spans both production and utilization and how they are linked to sustainable development. More importantly, energy systems are designed, analyzed, assessed and evaluated in accordance to sustainable tools for more sustainable future. This book comprehensively covers these aspects, harmonizing them in a way that offers distinct perspectives for energy, the environment and sustainable development. In addition, it also covers concepts, systems, applications, illustrative examples and case studies that are presented to provide unique coverage for readers. Presents a holistic approach for energy domains Includes tactics on the development of sustainability models and parameters to link both energy and sustainable development Incorporates exergy tools into models and approaches for design, analysis, assessment and evaluations Includes illustrative examples and case studies with renewables and clean energy options

This volume contains special contributions presented at the 5th International Conference on Energy and Sustainability, held by the Wessex Institute of Technology. It is a companion to the Volume containing most of the contributions (Vol. 186 of WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment) and comprises papers presented orally during the Conference. The modern world is highly dependent on the exploitation of fossil fuels. More recently, resources depletion and severe environmental effects deriving from the continuous use of these fuels has resulted in an increasing amount of interest in renewable energy resources and the search for sustainable energy policies. The changes required to progress from an economy mainly based on hydrocarbons to one taking advantage of sustainable energy resources are massive and require considerable scientific research as well as engineering systems. The effect also involves collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions, including buildings, energy networks, convenience systems, new energy storage solutions, waste to energy technologies, and many others. This book, along with its companion volume, covers topics related to sustainability in energy and power production, storage, distribution and management. These include: Energy Policies; Renewable Energy Resources; Sustainable Energy Production; Environmental Risk Management; Green Buildings; Energy Storage; Biofuels; Processing of Oil and Gas; Drilling and Well Design; CO2 Capture and Management; Pipelines; Energy Efficiency; Energy from Waste; Energy and Transportation.

This report estimates fossil fuel subsidies to be around USD 425 billion. Such subsidies represent large lost opportunities for governments to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. Removal of consumer subsidies can lead to carbon emission reductions (6 to 8 per cent by 2050 globally), Reductions that can be improved further with a switch or a "SWAP" towards sustainable energy. This report describes the scale and impact of fossil fuel subsidies on sustainable development. It describes the SWAP concept to switch savings made from fossil fuel subsidy reform, towards sustainable energy, energy efficiency and safety nets. The report provides potential SWAP outlines for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco and Zambia. "Making the Switch" was written for the Nordic Council Ministers by the Global Subsidies Initiative of IISD and Gaia Consulting.

This book emerges from the recognition that energy, environment and ecosystems are dynamically and inextricably connected. The energy environment system must be addressed in its totality, so that we can devise sustainable solutions that incorporate both economic growth and environmental conservation. No single clean energy source will sustain long-term energy security, and fossil fuels will remain prominent in the mix of energy sources for several decades to come. Energy solutions, therefore, must employ a broad and diverse range of approaches, including cleaner fossil fuel technologies, and an affordable transition to greener power generation employing waste, water and renewable resources. Moreover, adapting to this changing global energy picture will require a transformational shift in the ways we use and deliver energy services. The authors begin with a broad introductory chapter on sustainable energy and the environment, classifying energy resources, cataloging environmental degradations, and outlining the concepts and practices of sustainability. In Chapters Two and Three, they summarize the basic constituents of the environment, the biosphere and its natural cycles, and offer a model of Earth’s planetary temperatures and the greenhouse effect. Chapters Four and Five outline conventional energy and power systems, and related environmental degradations. The next several chapters cover clean coal technologies for power generation, and discuss sustainable energy and power technologies based on both thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, along with biomass and wind. The final chapters examine in depth the management of waste and water, pollution control and energy conservation. The book introduces a unique approach to sustainability and energy conservation which emphasizes the relationships between underlying scientific principles and practical applications employed in engineering solutions. All this is offered in a form that matches the requirements of college-level environmental science and engineering courses.

Energy and Sustainability V is the proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Energy and Sustainability, held by the Wessex Institute of Technology. The modern world is highly dependent on the exploitation of fossil fuels. More recently, resources depletion and severe environmental effects deriving from the continuous use of these fuels has resulted in an increasing amount of interest in renewable energy resources and the search for sustainable energy policies. The changes required to progress from an economy mainly based on hydrocarbons to one taking advantage of sustainable energy resources are massive and require considerable scientific research as well as engineering systems. The effect also involves collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions, including buildings, energy networks, convenience systems, new energy storage solutions, waste to energy technologies, and many others. This book covers topics related to sustainability in energy and power production, storage, distribution and management. These include: Smart grids; Smart metering; Green ICT; Green buildings; Energy storage; Renewable energy resources; Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV); Biofuels (solid, liquid, gas); Waste to energy; CO2 capturing and management; Energy and transportation; Environmental risk; Energy policies; Greener power plant technologies; Hydrogen recovery techniques; Sustainable energy production.