What Problems are Associated with the SUPPLY of Energy?

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What Problems are Associated with the SUPPLY of
Energy?
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Economic
Many believe peak oil production has been
reached.
Peak Oil The way in which cities and gadgets
shall be designed in the future shall be directly
affected by the availability of fuels and
resources. Will technology be the catalyst that
allows us to deal with a resource shortage?
Source http//spacecollaborative.com.au/203020S
ydney/Research/Sustainability/peakOil.html
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Economicand belief in a technological solution?
Source http//www.planetthoughts.org/?pgpt/Whole
qid2215
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Economic
One major problem with energy is its cost. Fossil
fuels are finite. With increasing demand and
diminishing supplies prices must increase.
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Economic
Alternative forms of energy need massive
investment in research and development, and
almost all forms seem expensive to build.
The Cost of Renewable Energy. The cost of
naturally occurring renewable energy is a result
of the cost of the collection apparatus
multiplied by the efficiency of the power plant.
(The mechanical power plant is a small fraction
of the cost of the collection apparatus.) Source
https//matteranenergy.us/Joe20Sixpack's20Techno
logy20Page.html
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Economic
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Economic
Source http//climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/20
07/06/global-trends-in-sustainable-energy.html
These costs put a strain on developed and
emerging economies, and may be beyond countries
with limited economic development.
The report says investment capital flowing into
renewable energy climbed from 80 billion in 2005
to a record 100 billion in 2006. As well, the
renewable energy sector's growth "although still
volatile ... is showing no sign of abating."
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Economic
Source http//climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/20
07/06/global-trends-in-sustainable-energy.html
"The other key message is that this is no longer
an industry solely dominated by developed country
industries. Close to 10 per cent of investments
are in China with around a fifth in total in the
developing world. We will need many sustained
steps towards the de-carbonizing of the global
economy. It is clear that in respect to
renewables those steps are getting underway."
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Economic
Source http//maps.grida.no/go/graphic/solid-biom
ass-consumption-including-woodfuel
Fuelwood is still a major source of heating and
cooking energy in developing countries.
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Environmental
Wood burning in confined domestic spaces is one
of the greatest sources of ill health. Impaired
lung capacity and cancer from smoke particles
often lead to very low life expectancy.
Map showing distribution of people depending on
biomass fuels
Map showing distribution of deaths from indoor
smoke from solid fuels
Source http//practicalaction.org/smoke/report_2
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Environmental
Traditional forms of energy almost all depend on
fossil fuels and lead to carbon output. But the
global environment cannot withstand current
levels of carbon emission.
Source http//www.chinaenvironmentallaw.com/wp-co
ntent/uploads/2009/02/world-carbon-emissions.gif
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Environmental
Carbon capture is in its infancy and
prohibitively expensive.
March 2010 Tokyo will start storing CO2 under the
seabed at the rate of 100,000 tons per year. No
word on final program costs, but in 2009, 3.3
billion (35 million) has been allocated to the
project.
Source http//www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/fi
rst-retrofit-carbon-capture-storage-project-begins
-operations.php
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Environmental
Almost all alternative measures have
environmental implications.
Cons of nuclear energy Requires larger capital
cost because of emergency, containment,
radioactive waste and storage systems Requires
resolution of the long-term high level waste
storage issue in most countries Potential
nuclear proliferation issue Source
http//www.damonclifford.com/blog/2008/nuclear-ene
rgy-alternative-energy-option/
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Political
Hardly any country is self-sufficient in all the
forms of energy it needs.
The inhabitants of the windswept Danish island of
Samso have achieved a decade-long target of
self-sufficiency Source http//www.independent.
co.uk/environment/climate-change/the-little-island
-and-its-big-green-victory-1827638.html
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Political
Most governments worry about depending on sources
from other countries in case political disputes
threaten supplies.
RISK ?
The fact that the UK supply of gas from the North
Sea peaked in 2001 and is now falling rapidly is
well known.
The extraction rate once allowed the UK to be a
leading exporter whilst also meeting growing
local demand, extraction rates are now falling
such that the country became a net importer in
2005 and some expect imports to account for 80
of gas supply as soon as 2014/15 The UK uses
approximately 103 billion cubic meters of gas per
year (bcm), more than any other country in
Europe. Very roughly, by 2020 this consumption is
expected to increase to 130 bcm whilst
extraction falls to less than 20 bcm leaving over
100 bcm shortfall.
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Political
Governments need to harmonise actions to limit
CO2 output, but finding agreement is not easy,
and implementing policies can make them unpopular
with their electorates.
Source http//www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009
/06/023896.php
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Political
Political
Political
Political
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Source http//img.mappio.com/learning-fundamenta
ls/global-warming-skeptics-Large.jpg
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Technological
There can be ways of producing power to meet
future demands but most of the technology needed
has yet to be developed.
Hydrogen car kits have become increasingly in
demand recently with the sky rocketing costs of
gasoline and the hopes of seeing them decrease
becoming less and less realistic each day.
Source http//www.hydrogencarkit.net/BuyHydrogenC
arKit/
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Technological
Only the most developed countries have the
numbers of educated people, the research
facilities and the funding to develop new
technologies.
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Technological
Ideas for the technological solutions seem few at
present, and many are untested
The most commercially advanced WEC is the Pelamis
attenuator, developed by Ocean Power Delivery,
Ltd., based in Edinburgh, Scotland.The device a
long, tubular structure floats on the surface
of the ocean and converts incoming waves from all
directions into electricity.
http//www.cnsm.csulb.edu/departments/geology/peop
le/bperry/geology303/geol303text.html
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Technological
Technological advances have made gas more
readily available it is far less polluting than
oil or coal and more reliable than renewable
energy like wave or wind power - BP joins the
dash for gas Sunday Telegraph Feb 28 2010
Shale gas is considered an unconventional source
as the gas may be attached to or "adsorbed" onto
organic matter. The gas is contained in
difficult-to-produce reservoirs that require
special completion, stimulation and/or production
techniques to achieve economic production.