Sustainable Energy Systems for the 21st Century (original) (raw)

Energy in the Context of Sustainability

Daedalus, 2013

Today and in the coming decades, the world faces the challenge of meeting the needs of a still-growing human population, and of doing it sustainably – that is, without affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Energy plays a pivotal role in this challenge, both because of its importance to economic development and because of the myriad interactions and influences it has on other critical sustainability issues. In this essay, we explore some of the direct interactions between energy and other things people need, such as food, water, fuel, and clean air, and also some of its indirect interactions with climate, ecosystems, and the habitability of the planet. We discuss some of the challenges and potential unintended consequences that are associated with a transition to clean, affordable energy as well as opportunities that make sense for energy and other sustainability goals. Pursuing such opportunities is critical not just to meeting the energy needs of nine bil...

Energy, environment and sustainable development

Applied Energy, 1999

There is an intimate connection between energy, the environment and sustainable development. A society seeking sustainable development ideally must utilize only energy resources which cause no environmental impact (e.g. which release no emissions to the environment). However, since all energy resources lead to some environmental impact, it is reasonable to suggest that some (not all) of the concerns regarding the limitations imposed on sustainable development by environmental emissions and their negative impacts can be in part overcome through increased energy eciency. Clearly, a strong relation exists between energy eciency and environmental impact since, for the same services or products, less resource utilization and pollution is normally associated with increased energy eciency. Presented in this paper are (i) a comprehensive discussion of the future of energy use and the consequent environmental impacts in terms of acid precipitation, stratospheric ozone depletion and the greenhouse eect, (ii) some solutions to current environmental issues in terms of energy conservation and renewable energy technologies, (iii) some theoretical and practical limitations on increased energy eciency, (iv) discussions of the relations between energy and sustainable development, and between the environment and sustainable development, and an (v) illustrative example. In this regard, a number of issues relating to energy, environment and sustainable development are examined from both current and future perspectives. In addition, some recommendations are drawn from the results we present for the use of energy scientists and engineers and policy makers, along with the anticipated eects.

Sustainable Development: Energy Matters

The lecture deals with the role of energy in sustainable development of human society, and related energy issues. Social, cultural and technological development of human society is intertwined with the discovery and development of energy sources. The journey of development began over a million years ago with the discovery of fire which continues unabated even today needing ever more energy to fuel the inflationary cycle of development. In the first part of the lecture the role of energy in development is reviewed in relation to the development of energy sources and their use. In the second part of the lecture energy consumption for various regions of the world is analyzed and energy indicators of development are identified. Vast disparity between the developed and developing countries is reflected in their energy consumption patterns. As developing countries strive to join the ranks of developed countries, the developed ones endeavor not only to sustain their development but also to achieve higher levels of the quality of life for their people. This together with the growing population has led to an ever increasing consumption of energy which at present is supplied by non-renewable sources, predominantly fossil fuels. This in turn has led to degradation of our atmosphere, land and water. The third part of the lecture emphasizes on the need to develop new and renewable sources of clean energy which shall have the potential to sustainably supply the energy needs of future while preserving our environment. The concluding section of the lecture focuses on energy sustainability and security for the generations to come.

Energy, Environment and Socio-Economic Development

2012

This chapter espouses the spatial relationships between energy, environment and socioeconomic development, as some of the main challenges African countries are grappling with. Energy is the main driver of all forms of socioeconomic activities occurring within the human space over time. In Africa, however, low access to energy has, to a greater extent, hampered the socioeconomic development of the continent. Although the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do not specifically stipulate on any energy target, the realization of all the goals stands threatened if households, commercial and industrial activities do not get the rightful access in terms of availability and affordability to energy systems, including their appropriate conversion technologies. The authors explore the dynamics of energy, socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability in a nexus of the triple challenges facing Africa, from different African scenarios. In Africa, the obstacles opposing the continent's bid to expand the energy frontiers from the traditional sources of wood and fossil fuels into other second and third generation energy forms have been constructed in the areas of intense competition for arable lands for food crops and feed stocks cultivation. Suffice to say that increasing population densities, food shortages and insecurity and malnutrition with associated diseases have culminated into acute forms of poverty in recent years in Africa; the problems have been aggravated by the wanton degradation of the environmental resource base and the over-dependence of particular energy mix at both the rural and the urban settings. The above disposition therefore, militates greatly against the socioeconomic efforts of most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. From a systemic perspective, the energy sector which drives almost every sub-sector of the broader socioeconomic activity needs to factor the environmental consequences of extraction and use, with the attending impacts of climate variability and change in a vicious cycle of sustainability.