A glitch in world energy
supplies could trigger an
economic catastrophe
e.g. Oil - such an event could happen if we have a
global rise in oil consumption; we reach 'peak oil' =
declining production & rising prices; oil production
in fewer countries as sources run dry; OPEC's
unpredictable actions & other producer countries
Factors contributing to global
energy uncertainty...
Future performance of global economy
Scale of population growth
Impact of rising living standards
Size of undiscovered oil & gas reserves
Discovery of
new energy
technologies
The scale of the
possible switch
to renewable
energies
Possible contribution of
'unconventional' oil sources
Emergent economies' energy demands
Responses to Increasing Energy Demands
1. Business as Usual
Do nothing
If we took this path forecasts
between now and 2030 suggest...
Global primary energy demand will rise by 53%
leading to a 55% increase in CO2 emissions
Fossil fuels will remain the dominant source of worldwide energy
over 70% of the increase in global primary energy demand will come
from developing countries, reflecting economic and population growth
2. Multi-energy Solution
Involves meeting future energy
demands from a mixture of
renewable, recyclable and
non-renewable sources
A rich fuel mix is required
to ensure energy security
and maintain an affordable
supply for individuals and
industry.
One controversial element: Nuclear power
Attitudes to Nuclear are shifting in response to
dying fossil fuels and climate change
China & India are building several reactors and intend to increase
their nuclear generation capacity in the next 15 years
By 2008, some 439 nuclear
reactors in 31 countries were
supplying 15% of the world's
electricity, 370 gigawatts p.a.
Estimated that by 2030, this output
will increase to 520 gigawatts
Advantages: no greenhouse emissions; uranium is relatively cheap
and easy to mine; most uranium reserves are plentiful and will last for
up to 150 years; cost-effective transport as its used in small quantities
Disadvantages: 1986
Chernobyl - designed to be
safe but still generate
toxic waste in radioactive
materials; difficult to
manage; expensive, can
cost £7 billion to design
and build
Example: Wind Power
Produces about 1% of the
global electricity supply
Wind energy is
plentiful, renewable,
widely distributed and
clean & can reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions by replacing
fossil fuels as a source
of electricity.
Fluctuations
in wind speed
rarely cause
problems
when wind
power is used
to supply a low
proportion of
total demand
Wind farms have
met with local
opposition, some
believe they are
unsightly, make a
droning noise and
pose a danger to
birds
There's no one source
that ticks all the boxes
for meeting rising
energy demand without
increasing emissions
but wind power must
come close in terms of
costs and sustainability
However, it is
claimed that most
of the UK would be
covered by wind
farms if they were
to completely
replace fossil fuels
as generators of
electricity
3. Energy Conservation
Based on decreasing the amount of energy used -
individuals and organisations that are direct
consumers of energy may want to reduce
consumption for a number of reasons: to reduce
costs; to reduce harmful emissions; to promote
energy security on a regional or national scale
Energy conservation has been high on the
political agenda if the EU in recent years
Countries have targets to reduce
their carbon emissions and cut
their energy requirements by
increasing efficiency with which
energy is consumed
e.g. UK is working towards a
zero energy building standard for
all new housing by 2016
Energy Insecurity
& Geopolitical
Tensions
The key to energy security lies in...
making the greatest
possible use of
domestic sources of
energy