- #1
heusdens
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We face an energy crisis, since gas and oil resources are diminishing this century. Oil and gas production follow a bell-curve, and around the middle of the depletion of a gas or oil field, the production of that field decreases yearly.
Apart from coal (for producing electricity) and nuclear energy, there aren't reasonable alternatives which can be utilized at this large scale and at the same costs. But both coal and nuclear power have their drawbacks.
[ Although energy from coal might be produced in a clean(er) way, in which the carbon-dioxide is not emitted in the atmosphere but stored under ground. ]
We have to take into account that the use of energy per capita is still significantly growing (for example: China, India), and also the population still grows enormously (doubles every 25 years).
So what to do?
There are of course alternatives. Utilizing sun energy, wind, tidal, geothermic and bio energy, which in principle are renewable.
The only problem is: in general they aren't available in the scale and concentration in which it is needed and/or are much more expensive.
However, the costs for (for instance) producing electricity is rising and might even rise more when we near peakoil scenario, and at the same time techniques for producing large scale wind or sun energy, are decreasing.
When wind and/or sun energy are produced at much larger scales, it becomes economically feasable, even when the energy has to be transported far away (as electricity or hydrogen).
For example, large parts of Earth which are now uninhabited (the deserts) could become economic production centers for producing solar energy.
At a sufficient large scale, solar energy can become as cheap as other forms of energy. The extra costs for distribution for a long range (energy losses) also included. Also, energy could be distributed as hydrogen, for other uses.
Secondly, these deserts when sea water is desalinated could also become productive agricultural regions (in a long time, before the soil is improved, starting with plants that use little water and help other vegetation to survive), and hence, these kind of production facilities, on a sufficient large scale, could signicantly reduce green house gas emissions.
Of course, this could be only feasible in the long run, when price leves of conventional energy resources are significantly higher, and prices of large scale solar energy production systems are significantly lower.
But in some decades, this will most probably the case. And maybe even earlier, if we decide to boost this development (on an international/global level) with some inititial large scale investments.
What would be needed for that is creating some fund (in the form of some extra energy tax or CO2 emission tax, paid by the rich and energy consuming countries).
Extra benefits are: this will also help increase development of developing countries, for example, (sub) sahara countries, it would create many jobs and stabilize immigration levels to europe, etc. And most importantly: it will provide drinking water for millions of people in that region, who now face the problems of water shortages, which to them is a bigger problem then energy shortages.
Other regions which could be developed in this manner: large part of the middle east and arabian peninsula, large part of west china and surrounding regions, australian inlands, south east of united states, etc. and other dry regions with a lot of sunshine.
Apart from coal (for producing electricity) and nuclear energy, there aren't reasonable alternatives which can be utilized at this large scale and at the same costs. But both coal and nuclear power have their drawbacks.
[ Although energy from coal might be produced in a clean(er) way, in which the carbon-dioxide is not emitted in the atmosphere but stored under ground. ]
We have to take into account that the use of energy per capita is still significantly growing (for example: China, India), and also the population still grows enormously (doubles every 25 years).
So what to do?
There are of course alternatives. Utilizing sun energy, wind, tidal, geothermic and bio energy, which in principle are renewable.
The only problem is: in general they aren't available in the scale and concentration in which it is needed and/or are much more expensive.
However, the costs for (for instance) producing electricity is rising and might even rise more when we near peakoil scenario, and at the same time techniques for producing large scale wind or sun energy, are decreasing.
When wind and/or sun energy are produced at much larger scales, it becomes economically feasable, even when the energy has to be transported far away (as electricity or hydrogen).
For example, large parts of Earth which are now uninhabited (the deserts) could become economic production centers for producing solar energy.
At a sufficient large scale, solar energy can become as cheap as other forms of energy. The extra costs for distribution for a long range (energy losses) also included. Also, energy could be distributed as hydrogen, for other uses.
Secondly, these deserts when sea water is desalinated could also become productive agricultural regions (in a long time, before the soil is improved, starting with plants that use little water and help other vegetation to survive), and hence, these kind of production facilities, on a sufficient large scale, could signicantly reduce green house gas emissions.
Of course, this could be only feasible in the long run, when price leves of conventional energy resources are significantly higher, and prices of large scale solar energy production systems are significantly lower.
But in some decades, this will most probably the case. And maybe even earlier, if we decide to boost this development (on an international/global level) with some inititial large scale investments.
What would be needed for that is creating some fund (in the form of some extra energy tax or CO2 emission tax, paid by the rich and energy consuming countries).
Extra benefits are: this will also help increase development of developing countries, for example, (sub) sahara countries, it would create many jobs and stabilize immigration levels to europe, etc. And most importantly: it will provide drinking water for millions of people in that region, who now face the problems of water shortages, which to them is a bigger problem then energy shortages.
Other regions which could be developed in this manner: large part of the middle east and arabian peninsula, large part of west china and surrounding regions, australian inlands, south east of united states, etc. and other dry regions with a lot of sunshine.
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