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Sustainable development Portal

Future energy development, providing for the world's future energy needs, currently faces great challenges. These include an increasing world population, demands for higher standards of living, a need for less pollution, a need to avert global warming, and a possible end to fossil fuels (see Hubbert peak theory). Without energy, the world's entire industrialized infrastructure would collapse; agriculture, transportation, waste collection, information technology, communications and much of the prerequisites that a developed nation takes for granted. A shortage of the energy needed to sustain this infrastructure could lead to a Malthusian catastrophe. Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... Higher electricity use per capita correlates with a higher score on the Human Development Index(1997). ... Image File history File links Sustainable_development. ... Map of countries by population — China and India, the only two countries to have a population greater than one billion, together possess more than a third of the worlds population. ... The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these services and goods are distributed within a population. ... Air pollution Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (whether chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat, or light) into the environment to such a point that its effects become harmful to human health, other living organisms, or the environment. ... Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ... Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the earth’s crust. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Peak oil and Hubbert peak theory, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Sewage is the mainly liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water, faeces, urine, laundry waste and other material which goes down drains and toilets from households and industry. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... Malthusian catastrophe, sometimes known as a Malthusian check, Malthusian crisis, Malthusian dilemma, Malthusian disaster, Malthusian trap, or Malthusian limit is a return to subsistence-level conditions as a result of agricultural (or, in later formulations, economic) production being eventually outstripped by growth in population. ...

Energy Portal

Environmental technology or green technology is the application of the environmental sciences to conserve the natural environment and resources, and by curbing the negative impacts of human involvement. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Air Pollution#Control devices. ... For articles on specific fuels used in vehicles, see Biogas, Bioethanol, Biobutanol, Biodiesel, and Straight vegetable oil. ... An active compost heap, steaming on a cold winter morning. ... Conservation biology, or conservation ecology, is the science of analyzing and protecting Earths biological diversity. ... The conservation ethic is an ethic of resource use, allocation, exploitation, and protection. ... Ecoforestry is forestry that emphasizes holistic practices which strive to protect and restore ecosystems1 instead of traditional forestry that maximizes economic productivity. ... For the physical concepts, see conservation of energy and energy efficiency. ... Higher electricity use per capita correlates with a higher score on the Human Development Index(1997). ... Environmental design is the process of addressing environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products. ... An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is an assessment of the likely influence a project may have on the environment. ... Envirnonmental preservation is the strict setting aside of natural resources to prevent the use or contact by humans or by human intervention. ... This article is about green building construction. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Industrial wastewater treatment covers the mechanisms and processes used to treat waters that have been contaminated in some way by mans industrial or commercial activities prior to its release into the environment or its re-use. ... Natural building involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. ... The international recycling symbol. ... Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ... // Renewable energy development covers the advancement, capacity growth, and use of renewable energy sources by humans. ... Generally, remediation means giving a remedy. ... The following page contains a list of different forms of waste treatment Anaerobic digestion ArrowBio Composting Gasification Incineration In-vessel composting Landfill Mechanical biological treatment Mechanical heat treatment Plasma Pyrolysis Recycling Sewage treatment Tunnel composting UASB Windrow composting Categories: | ... Sustainable architecture applies techniques of sustainable design to architecture. ... This article is about a concept related to renewable energy, of which sustainable energy is a superset. ... Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. ... The following page consist of a list of waste water treatment technologies: Activated sludge Anaerobic digestion Anaerobic lagoon Cesspit Combined sewer overflow Composting toilet Constructed wetland Imhoff tank Floculation Reed bed Septic tank Sequencing batch reactor UASB Aerobic Granular Reactor This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Control room and schematics of the water purification plant to Bret lake. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waste For the company, see Waste Management, Inc. ... Environmental science is the study of the interactions among the physical, chemical and biological components of the environment; with a focus on pollution and degradation of the environment related to human activities; and the impact on biodiversity and sustainability from local and global development. ... Image File history File links Portal. ...

General considerations

Main article: Energy development

Almost all forms of terrestrial energy, such as fossil fuels, solar, wind, ocean thermal, and hydropower, can be traced back to energy received from the sun's fusion reactions. The only exceptions are tidal, nuclear, and geothermal power. Tidal energy comes from the gravitational potential energy of the Earth/Moon system. Geothermal energy is believed to be generated primarily by radioactive decay inside the Earth.^[1] Higher electricity use per capita correlates with a higher score on the Human Development Index(1997). ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing fusion power. ... Tidal energy, sometimes called tidal power, is a form of hydropower that exploits the movement of water caused by tidal currents or the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides. ... This article is about applications of nuclear fission reactors as power sources. ... Krafla Geothermal Station in northeast Iceland Geothermal power is energy generated by heat stored beneath the Earths surface. ...

Most human energy sources today use energy from sunlight, in the form of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). Once the stored forms are used up (assuming no contribution from the three previous energy sources and no energy from space exploration) then the long-term energy usage of humanity is limited to that from the sunlight falling on Earth. The total energy consumption of humanity today is equivalent to about 0.1-0.01 percent of that. Covering a vast area like the Gobi Desert with solar power generation would provide the total current world energy usage.^{[2] [3]} The Gobi Desert lies in the territory of the Peoples Republic of China and the Country of Mongolia. ... Solar power describes a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the sun. ...

U.S. energy consumption by sectors.

World energy production by source in 2004: Oil 40%, coal 23.3%, natural gas 22.5%, hydroelectric 7.0%, nuclear 6.5%, biomass and other 0.7%.^[4] In the U.S., transportation accounted for 28% of all energy use and 70% of petroleum use in 2001; 97% of transportation fuel was petroleum.^[5] Download high resolution version (925x589, 21 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: http://www. ... Download high resolution version (925x589, 21 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: http://www. ...

The United Nations projects that world population will stabilize in 2075 at nine billion due to the demographic transition. Birth rates are now falling in most developing nations and the population would decrease in several developed nations if there was no immigration.^[6] Since 1970, each 1 percent increase in the gross world product has yielded a 0.64 percent increase in energy consumption.^[7] UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Map of countries by population — China and India, the only two countries to have a population greater than one billion, together possess more than a third of the worlds population. ... Demographic transition occurs in societies that transition from high birth rates and high death rates to low birth rates and low death rates as part of the economic development of a country from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economy. ... Gross world product is the total Gross National Product of all the countries in the world. ...

In geology, resources refer to the amount of a specific substance that may be present in a deposit. This definition does not take into account the economic feasibility of exploitation or the fact that resources may not be recoverable using current or future technology. Reserves constitute those resources that are recoverable using current technology. They can be recovered economically under current market conditions. This definition takes into account current mining technology and the economics of recovery, including mining and transport costs, government royalties and current market prices. Reserves decrease when prices are too low for some of the substance to be recovered economically, and increase when higher prices make more of the substance economically recoverable. Neither of these terms consider the energy required for exploitation (except as reflected in economic costs) or whether there is a net energy gain or loss. This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Net Energy Gain is a concept important in energy economics, referring to a surplus condition in the difference between the energy required to harvest an energy source and the energy provided by that same source. ...

Energy production usually requires an energy investment. Drilling for oil or building a wind power plant requires energy. The fossil fuel resources (see above) that are left are often increasingly difficult to extract and convert. They may thus require increasingly higher energy investments. If the investment is greater than the energy produced, then the fossil resource is no longer an energy source. This means that a large part of the fossil fuel resources and especially the non-conventional ones cannot be used for energy production today. Such resources may still be exploited economically in order to produce raw materials for plastics, fertilizers or even transportation fuel but now more energy is consumed than produced. (They then become similar to ordinary mining reserves, economically recoverable but not net positive energy sources.) New technology may ameliorate this problem if it can lower the energy investment required to extract and convert the resources, although ultimately basic physics sets limits that cannot be exceeded. For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... Spreading manure, an organic fertilizer Fertilizers (also spelled fertilisers) are compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either via the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. ...

The classification of energy sources into renewables and non-renewables is not without problems. Geothermal power and hydroelectric power are classified as renewable energy but geothermal sites eventually cool down and hydroelectric dams gradually become filled with silt, which may be very expensive to remove. Although it can be argued that while a specific location may be depleted, the total amount of potential geothermal and hydroelectric power is not and a new power plant may sometimes be built on a different location. Nuclear power is not classified as a renewable but the amount of uranium in the seas may continue to be replenished by rivers through erosion of underground resources for as long as the remaining life of the Sun. Fossil fuels are finite but hydrocarbon fuel may be produced in several ways as described below. Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ... Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ... For other uses, see Silt (disambiguation). ... Sol redirects here. ...

Many of the current or potential future power production numbers given below do not subtract the energy consumed due to loss of energy from constructing the power facilities and distribution network, energy distribution itself, maintenance, inevitable replacement of old power production facilities and distribution network, backup capacity due to intermittent output, and energy required to reverse damage to the environment and other externalities. Net power production using life cycle analysis is more correct but more difficult and has many new uncertain factors. In economics, an externality is an impact (positive or negative) on anyone not party to a given economic transaction. ... The conditions a product is sold under will change over time. ...

History of predictions about future energy development

Ever since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the question of the future of energy supplies has occupied economists. A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ...

• 1865 - William Stanley Jevons published The Coal Question in which he claimed that reserves of coal would soon be exhausted and that there was no prospect of oil being an effective replacement.
• 1885 - U.S. Geological Survey: Little or no chance of oil in California.
• 1891 - U.S. Geological Survey: Little or no chance of oil in Kansas or Texas.
• 1914 - U.S. Bureau of Mines: Total future production of 5.7 billion barrels.
• 1939 - U.S. Department of the Interior: Reserves to last only 13 years.
• 1951 - U.S. Department of the Interior, Oil and Gas Division: Reserves to last 13 years.

(Data from Kahn et al. (1976) pp.94-5 infra) [William Stanley Jevons] William Stanley Jevons (September 1, 1835 - August 13, 1882), English economist and logician, was born in Liverpool. ... InsertSLUTTY WHORES≤ non-formatted text here{| class=toccolours border=1 cellpadding=4 style=float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width: 20em; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%; clear: right; |+ United States Geological Survey |- |style= align=center colspan=2| [[Image:USGS logo. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... For most of the 20th century, the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary United States Government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, processing, use, and conservation of mineral resources. ...

• 1956 - Geophysicist M. King Hubbert predicts U.S. oil production will peak between 1965 and 1970 (peaked in 1971). Also predicts world oil production will peak "within half a century" based on 1956 data. This is Hubbert peak theory.
• 1989 - Predicted peak by Colin Campbell ("Oil Price Leap in the Early Nineties," Noroil, December 1989, pages 35-38.)
• 2004 - OPEC estimates it will nearly double oil output by 2025 (Opec Oil Outlook to 2025 Table 4, Page 12)

The history of perpetual motion machines is a long list of failed and sometimes fraudulent inventions of machines which produce useful energy "from nowhere" - that is, without requiring additional energy input. Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989) was a Geologist by education and a geophysicist by profession who worked at the Shell research lab in Houston, Texas. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Peak oil and Hubbert peak theory, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Colin J. Campbell, Ph. ... The history of perpetual motion machines (also known as the history of free energy and history of over unity machines) dates back to the Middle Ages. ...

Sustainable Energy

Nuclear power

Higher electricity use per capita correlates with a higher score on the Human Development Index(1997). Developing nations score much lower on these variables than developed nations. The continued rapid economic growth and increase in living standards in developing nations with large populations, like China and India, is dependent on a rapid and large expansion of energy production capacity.

Developing nations also use less total energy per capita. FSU/EE stands for Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Source: EIA.

Developing nations use their energy less efficiently than developed nation, getting less GDP for the same amount of energy. One important cause is old technology. Notable is the very low energy efficiency in the former communist states. Source: EIA.

An increasing share of world energy consumption is predicted to be used by developing nations. Source: EIA.

Main article: Nuclear power

Depending on the type of fission fuel considered, estimates for existing supply at known usage rates varies from thousands of years for uranium-238 to several decades for the currently popular Uranium-235. At the present use rate, there are (as of 2007) about 70 years left of known uranium-235 reserves economically recoverable at an uranium price of US$ 130/kg.^[8] The nuclear industry argue that the cost of fuel is a minor cost factor for fission power. More expensive, more difficult to extract sources of uranium could be used in the future, such as lower-grade ores, and if prices increased enough, from sources such as granite and seawater.^[8] Increasing the price of uranium would have little effect on the overall cost of nuclear power; a doubling in the cost of natural uranium would increase the total cost of nuclear power by 5 percent. On the other hand, if the price of natural gas was doubled, the cost of gas-fired power would increase by about 60 percent.^[9] Another alternative would be to use thorium as fission fuel. Thorium is three times more abundant in Earth's crust than uranium,^[10] and much more of the thorium can be used (or, more precisely, converted into Uranium-233 and then used). This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 39 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 39 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 42 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 42 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... This article is about one-party states ruled by Communist Parties. ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 45 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... Download high resolution version (960x720, 45 KB) Source: Energy Information Administration: International Energy Outlook 2004, http://www. ... This article is about applications of nuclear fission reactors as power sources. ... Uranium-235 is an isotope of uranium that differs from the elements other common isotope, uranium-238, by its ability to cause a rapidly expanding fission chain reaction. ... General Name, Symbol, Number thorium, Th, 90 Chemical series Actinides Group, Period, Block n/a, 7, f Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 232. ...

Current light water reactors burn the nuclear fuel poorly, leading to energy waste. Nuclear reprocessing^[11] or burning the fuel better using different reactor designs would reduce the amount of waste material generated and allow better use of the available resources. As opposed to current light water reactors which use uranium-235 (0.7 percent of all natural uranium), fast breeder reactors convert the more abundant uranium-238 (99.3 percent of all natural uranium) into plutonium for fuel. It has been estimated that there is anywhere from 10,000 to five billion years worth of Uranium-238 for use in these power plants.^[12] Breeder technology has been used in several reactors. However, the breeder reactor at Dounreay in Scotland, Monju in Japan and the Superphénix at Creys-Malville in France, in particular, have all had difficulties and were not economically competitive and have been decommissioned. The People's Republic of China intends to build breeders.^[13] A light water reactor or LWR is a thermal nuclear reactor that uses ordinary water, also called light water, as its neutron moderator. ... // Nuclear reprocessing separates any usable elements (e. ... Uranium-235 is an isotope of uranium that differs from the elements other common isotope, uranium-238, by its ability to cause a rapidly expanding fission chain reaction. ... The fast breeder or fast breeder reactor (FBR) is a type of fast neutron reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes. ... There are two objects with this name: Unterseeboot 238 Uranium-238, the most common isotope of uranium This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... General Name, Symbol, Number plutonium, Pu, 94 Chemical series actinides Group, Period, Block n/a, 7, f Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight (244) g·mol−1 Electron configuration [Rn] 5f6 7s2 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ... Dounreay (Ordnance Survey Grid reference NC982669) is the name of a now ruinous castle on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. ... This article is about the fast breeder reactor in Japan. ... Superphoenix (French: Superphénix or SPX) is a nuclear power station on the Rhône River at Creys-Malville in France, close to the border with Switzerland. ... The decommissioning of nuclear facilities is sometimes referred to as nuclear decommissioning, to mark the difference between conventional decommissioning and dismantling projects. ...

The possibility of nuclear meltdowns and other reactor accidents, such as the Three Mile Island accident and the Chernobyl disaster, have caused much public fear. Research is being done to lessen the known problems of current reactor technology by developing automated and passively-safe reactors. Historically, however, coal and hydropower power generation have both been the cause of more deaths per energy unit produced than nuclear power generation.^[14][15] Various kinds of energy infrastructure might be attacked by terrorists, including nuclear power plants, hydropower plants, and liquified natural gas tankers. Nuclear proliferation is the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons. New technology like SSTAR ("small, sealed, transportable, autonomous reactor") may lessen this risk. Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station consisted of two pressurized water reactors manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox each inside its own containment building and connected cooling towers. ... For details on this station, see Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. ... Chernobyl reactor number four after the disaster, showing the extensive damage to the main reactor hall (image center) and turbine building (image lower left) The reactor accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the worst in history, resulting in a severe nuclear meltdown. ... Passive nuclear safety describes a safety feature of a nuclear reactor that does not require operator action or electronic feedback in order to shut down safely in the event of a particular type of emergency (usually overheating resulting from a loss of coolant or loss of coolant flow). ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas which has been artificially condensed into a liquid form by a combination of pressurisation and cryogenic cooling. ... Tanker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... World map with nuclear weapons development status represented by color. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ... A possible design for SSTAR. SSTAR is an acronym for the small, sealed, transportable, autonomous reactor - being primarily researched and developed in the US by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. ...

The long-term radioactive waste storage problems of nuclear power have not been fully solved. Several countries have considered using underground repositories. Nuclear waste takes up little space compared to wastes from the chemical industry which remain toxic indefinitely.^[11] Spent fuel rods are now stored in concrete casks close to the nuclear reactors.^[16] The amounts of waste can be reduced in several ways. Both nuclear reprocessing and fast breeder reactors can reduce the amounts of waste. Subcritical reactors or fusion reactors could greatly reduce the time the waste has to be stored.^[17] Subcritical reactors may also be able to do the same to already existing waste. Radioactive wastes are waste types containing radioactive chemical elements that do not have a practical purpose. ... // Nuclear reprocessing separates any usable elements (e. ... The fast breeder or fast breeder reactor (FBR) is a fast neutron reactor designed to breed fuel by producing more fissile material than it consumes. ... A subcritical reactor is a nuclear fission reactor that produces fission without achieving criticality. ...

The economics of nuclear power is not simple to evaluate, because of high capital costs for building and very low fuel costs. Comparison with other power generation methods is strongly dependent on assumptions about construction timescales and capital financing for nuclear plants. See Economics of new nuclear power plants. The Economics of new nuclear power plants is a controversial subject, since multi-billion dollar investments ride on the choice of an energy source. ... The Economics of new nuclear power plants is a controversial subject, since multi-billion dollar investments ride on the choice of an energy source. ...

Depending on the source different energy return on energy investment (EROI) are claimed. Advocates (using life cycle analysis) argue that it takes 4-5 months of energy production from the nuclear plant to fully pay back the initial energy investment.^[18] Opponents claim that it depends on the grades of the ores the fuel came from, so a fully pay back can vary from 10 to 18 years.^[19] We dont have an article called Eroi Start this article Search for Eroi in. ...

Advocates also claim that it is possible to relatively rapidly increase the number of plants. Typical new reactor designs have a construction time of three to four years.^[20] In 1983, 43 plants were being built, before an unexpected fall in fossil fuel prices stopped most new construction. Developing countries like India and China are rapidly increasing their nuclear energy use.^[21][22] However, a Council on Foreign Relations report on nuclear energy argues that a rapid expansion of nuclear power may create shortages in building materials such as reactor-quality concrete and steel, skilled workers and engineers, and safety controls by skilled inspectors. This would drive up current prices.^[23] The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an influential and independent, nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (corner Park Avenue) in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Through its membership, meetings, and studies, it has been...

Fusion power could solve many of the problems of fission power (the technology mentioned above) but, despite research having started in the 1950s, no commercial fusion reactor is expected before 2050^[24] . Many technical problems remain unsolved. Proposed fusion reactors commonly use deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen, as fuel and in most current designs also lithium. Assuming a fusion energy output equal to the current global output and that this does not increase in the future, then the known current lithium reserves would last 3000 years, lithium from sea water would last 60 million years, and a more complicated fusion process using only deuterium from sea water would have fuel for 150 billion years.^[25] Internal view of the JET tokamak superimposed with an image of a plasma taken with a visible spectrum video camera. ... An induced nuclear fission event. ... Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a stable isotope of hydrogen with a natural abundance in the oceans of Earth of approximately one atom in 6500 of hydrogen (~154 PPM). ... For other uses, see Isotope (disambiguation). ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... This article is about the chemical element named Lithium. ...

Hydroelectricity

Main article: Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the only renewable energy used today that makes a large contribution to world energy production. The long-term technical potential is believed to be 9 to 12 times current hydropower production, but environmental concerns increasingly block new dam construction.^[26] There is a growing interest in mini-hydro projects^[27], which avoid many of the problems of the larger dams. Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ...

Solar power

The CIS Tower, Manchester, England, was clad in Photovoltaic panels at a cost of £5.5 million. It started feeding electricity to the national grid in November 2005.

Main article: Solar power

Commercial solar cells can presently convert about 15 percent of the energy of incident sunlight to electrical energy. If built out as solar collectors, 1 percent of the land today used for crops and pasture could supply the world's total energy consumption. A similar area is used today for hydropower, as the electricity yield per unit area of a solar collector is 50 to 100 times that of an average hydro scheme.^[28] Solar cells can also be placed on top of existing urban infrastructure (see Building integrated photovoltaics) and does then not require re-purposing of cropland or parkland. The German government currently has a huge photovoltaic energy initiative, which is being watched with interest by other countries. Researchers have estimated that algae farms could convert 10 percent of the energy of incident light into biodiesel energy.^{[citation needed]} Solar thermal collectors can capture 70 to 80 percent of insolation as usable heat. Passive solar and Solar chimneys can heat and cool residences and other buildings. A solar updraft tower is another concept. When solar gets cheap enough to compete with other energy resources, it holds huge potential to convey electricity to regions with under-developed grid systems. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (694x1254, 648 KB) Summary Description: CIS Tower Source: I took it Date: created 16. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (694x1254, 648 KB) Summary Description: CIS Tower Source: I took it Date: created 16. ... CIS Tower before recladding The CIS Tower is currently the tallest building in Manchester, England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A solar cell, a form of photovoltaic cell, is a device that uses the photoelectric effect to generate electricity from light, thus generating solar power (energy). ... The National Grid is the high-voltage electric power transmission network in Great Britain, connecting power stations and major substations and ensuring that electricity generated anywhere in Great Britain can be used to satisfy demand elsewhere. ... Solar power describes a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the sun. ... A solar cell, made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. ... The CIS Tower, Manchester, England, was clad in PV panels at a cost of £5. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (in German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is a federal representative democracy. ... Photovoltaic tree in Styria, Austria Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is a solar power technology that uses solar cells or solar photovoltaic arrays to convert light from the sun directly into electricity. ... This article is about transesterified plant and animal oils. ... Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for practical applications from solar heating to electrical power generation. ... Not to be confused with insulation. ... Solar panels are used in passive and active solar hot water systems Passive solar technologies convert sunlight into usable heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use, without the assistance of other energy sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Solar Tower. ... Schematic of a Solar updraft tower This article is about a type of power plant. ...

Wind power

Main article: Wind power

Wind power is one of the most cost-competitive renewables today. Its long-term technical potential is believed to be five times current global energy consumption, or 40 times current electricity demand. This would require about 13 percent of all land area, or that land area with Class 3 or greater potential at a height of 80 meters. It assumes a placement of six large wind turbines per square kilometer on land. Offshore resources experience mean wind speeds about 90 percent greater than that of land, so offshore resources could contribute substantially more energy.^[29][30] This number could also increase with higher altitude ground based or airborne turbines.^[31] An example of a wind turbine. ...

Geothermal power

Main article: Geothermal power

Geothermal power and tidal power are the only renewables not dependent on the sun but are today limited to special locations. All available tidal energy is equivalent to one-fourth of total human energy consumption today. Geothermal power has a very large potential if considering all the heat existing inside Earth, although the heat flow from the interior to the surface is only 1/20,000 as great as the energy received from the Sun or about 2-3 times that from tidal power.^[32] At the moment Iceland and New Zealand are two of the greatest users of geothermal energy, although many others also have potential. Countries are also researching hot-dry-rock geothermal technologies which have some possibilities. Krafla Geothermal Station in northeast Iceland Geothermal power is energy generated by heat stored beneath the Earths surface. ... Tidal energy, sometimes called tidal power, is a form of hydropower that exploits the movement of water caused by tidal currents or the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides. ... Hot-Dry-Rock (HDR) is a type of geothermal power production that utilises the very high temperatures that can be found in rocks just a few kilometres below ground. ...

Ocean thermal energy conversion

Ocean thermal energy conversion is another renewable with large potential. Several other variations of utilizing energy from the sun also exist, see renewable energy. Circulating cool water from deep in the ocean up to the surface, and warm water from the surface to the depths produces temperature differentials that useful power can be extracted from. Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ...

Bioenergy

Main article: Biofuels

Biomass (burning biological materials to generate heat), biofuels (processing biological materials to generate fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol), and biogas (using anaerobic digestion to generate methane from biodegradable material & biodegradable waste) are other renewables. Systems such as advanced anaerobic digesters offer the ability to produce medium sized power generation (2MW-10MW) facilities and offer flexibility. They can recover value from biodegradable waste whilst producing power from a renewable energy source.^[33] Biofuel is any fuel that derives from biomass _ recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts, such as manure from cows. ... See biomass (ecology) for the use of the term in ecology, where it refers to the cumulation of living matter Switchgrass, a tough plant used in the biofuel industry in the United States Rice chaff. ... Biofuel is any fuel that derives from biomass _ recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts, such as manure from cows. ... This article is about transesterified plant and animal oils. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... Biogas-bus in Bern, Switzerland Biogas typically refers to a (biofuel) gas produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of organic matter including manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, biodegradable waste or any other biodegradable feedstock, under anaerobic conditions. ... Two-stage, low-solids, UASB anaerobic digesters as part of a mechanical biological treatment system, with sequencing batch reactor Anaerobic digestion (AD) is where the naturally occurring processes of anaerobic degradation is harnessed and contained. ... Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. ... Biodegradation is the decomposition of material by microorganisms. ... Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms. ... Anaerobic digesters are used to create anaerobic, meaning without oxygen, conditions so that anaerobic bacteria can efficiently digest biomass, sewage or other organic matter. ... Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms. ...

Wave power

Main article: Wave power

Wave power is the extraction of energy from waves in large bodies of water such as oceans and large lakes. Wave power is a form of renewable energy that is on the rise. It should not be confused with Tidal power, which involves construction of a dam or "power tower" (which is basically a large tube which waves push air through to create power with turbines), which are both structures connected to the land. Wave power is harnessed by other means, including floating objects or machines on the floor of the body of water (see Wave farm). Wave power refers to the energy of ocean surface waves and the capture of that energy to do useful work - including electricity generation, desalination, and the pumping of water (into reservoirs). ... Pelamis machine pointing into the waves: it attenuates the waves, gathering more energy than its narrow profile suggests. ...

Pros

• Potentially highly abundant for countries with large coastlines.
• Potentially minimal effect on the environment.
• Wave power is a renewable resource.
• Highly predictable compared to wind and solar.

Cons

• Requires further research, development and investment in infrastructure.
• Repairs at sea are costlier and more time consuming should generators be damaged (storms, etc).

Tidal power

Main article: Tidal power

Tidal energy involves building a dam across the opening to a tidal basin, called an estuary. The dam, called a barrage, is composed of turbines, located within tunnels in the dam that rotate when a tide comes in, generating electricity. Tidal energy, sometimes called tidal power, is a form of hydropower that exploits the movement of water caused by tidal currents or the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides. ... This article is about structures for water impoundment. ... For other meanings, see Estuary (disambiguation) Rio de la Plata estuary An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ... Look up Barrage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Siemens steam turbine with the case opened. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ...

Pros

• Tidal power is free once the dam is built. This is because tidal power harnesses the natural power of tides and does not consume fuel. In addition, the maintenance costs associated with running a tidal station are relatively low.^{[citation needed]}
• Tides are very reliable because it is easy to predict when high and low tides will occur. The tide goes in and out twice a day usually at the predicted times. This makes tidal energy easy to maintain, and positive and negative spikes in energy can be managed.

Preventive maintenance (PM) has the following meanings: The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they develop into major defects. ... This article is about tides in the Earths oceans. ...

Cons

• Tidal energy is not strictly "renewable": because, from basic physics, all energy produced from tidal generation results in an equal loss of the earth's rotational energy. Tidal power relies on the gravitational pull of the Moon and the earth's rotation, which pull the sea backwards and forwards, generating tides.
• It provides power only for around 10 hours each day, when the tide is moving in or out of the basin.
• The amount of power potentially generated is a function of tidal range, In general a tidal range of > 3 metres is necessary.
• The availability of suitable estuaries is limited. Construction of artificial estuaries is highly expensive.
• The barrage construction can affect the transportation system in water. Boats may not be able to cross the barrage outside of a lock system.
• The erection of a barrage may affect the aquatic ecosystems surrounding it. The environment affected by the dam is very wide, altering areas numerous miles upstream and downstream. For example, many birds rely on low tides to unearth mud flats, which are used as feeding areas.
• Maximum power production is limited to 2.5 terawatts. This is the total amount of tidal dissipation or the friction measured by the slowing of the lunar orbit.

Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ... Gravity redirects here. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... For other uses, see Boat (disambiguation). ... An estuary mouth and coastal waters, part of an aquatic ecosystem. ... Mudflats are relatively flat, muddy regions found in intertidal areas. ...

Considerations about renewable energy

Some renewable sources are diffuse and require land and construction material for energy production. The large and sometimes remote areas may also increase energy loss and cost from distribution. On the other hand, some forms allow small-scale production and may be placed very close to or directly at consumer households, businesses, and industries which reduces or eliminates distribution problems.

The large areas affected also means that some renewable energy sources may have some negative environmental impact, although populated suburbs have already been impacted by human development. Hydroelectric dams, like the Aswan Dam, have adverse consequences both upstream and downstream. Some flooded areas also contain decaying organic material that release gases contributing to global warming if not captured. The mining and refining of large amounts of construction material will also affect the environment in the short term. Map showing reservoir The hydroelectric power station of Aswan Dam Aswan is a city on the first cataract of the Nile in Egypt. ...

Aside from hydropower and geothermal power, which are site-specific, renewable supplies often have higher costs than fossil fuels if the impacts of pollution, climate change, and resource depletion are ignored, as is common. Renewables like wind and solar are cost effective in remote areas that are off grid because the cost of a grid connection is high, as is the cost of transporting diesel fuel. Many forms of renewables are cost effective in remote, underdeveloped, and/or low population density areas that are off the grid or on unreliable grids. Transmission of electricity through large grids remote from conventional energy sources is also expensive, and embedding small renewable projects in such locations can cut energy losses significantly. The inefficiency, noise, and refueling requirements of small diesel generators are also factors in favor of renewables in this situation. ...

Renewable sources are economically viable in less developed areas of the world, where the population density cannot support the financial investment of an electrical grid or petroleum supply network. In such situations, fossil fuel energy sources do not realize economies of scale, and distributed, small-scale electrical generation from renewables is usually more economical and operationally reliable. The increase in output from Q to Q2 causes a decrease in the average cost of each unit from C to C1. ...

Solar thermal is already cost effective for water heating. Grid connected solar cells can be cost effective in a spot-priced market because they generate electricity during peak usage periods when electricity is most costly and because they produce electricity at the point of use thereby avoiding transmission costs.

It is widely expected that renewable energy sources will continue to drop in costs as additional investments are made in R&D and as increased mass production improves the economies of scale. Nuclear power has been subsidized by 0.5-1 trillion dollars since the 1950s. No comparable investment has yet been made in renewable energy. Even so, the technology is improving rapidly. For example, solar cells are a hundred times less expensive today than the 1970s and development continues.^[34][35] Solar breeder technologies, where the energy used to make solar cells is itself solar energy, is also being investigated.^[36] A solar cell, a form of photovoltaic cell, is a device that uses the photoelectric effect to generate electricity from light, thus generating solar power (energy). ...

Increased efficiency in current energy use

New technology may make better use of already available energy through improved efficiency, such as more efficient fluorescent lamps, engines, and insulation. Using heat exchangers, it is possible to recover some of the energy in waste warm water and air, for example to preheat incoming fresh water. Hydrocarbon fuel production from pyrolysis could also be in this category, allowing recovery of some of the energy in hydrocarbon waste. Meat production is energy inefficient compared to the production of protein sources like soybean or Quorn. Already existing power plants often can and usually are made more efficient with minor modifications due to new technology. New power plants may become more efficient with technology like cogeneration. New designs for buildings may incorporate techniques like passive solar. Light-emitting diodes are gradually replacing the remaining uses of light bulbs. Note that none of these methods allows perpetual motion, as some energy is always lost to heat. Fluorescent lamps in Shinbashi, Tokyo, Japan Assorted types of fluorescent lamps. ... For other uses, see Engine (disambiguation). ... Thermal insulation on the Huygens probe The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer. ... A heat exchanger is a device built for efficient heat transfer from one fluid to another, whether the fluids are separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or the fluids are directly contacted. ... Simple sketch of pyrolysis chemistry Pyrolysis usually means the chemical decomposition of organic materials by heating in the absence of oxygen or any other reagents, except possibly steam. ... This article is about the food. ... Binomial name (L.) Merr. ... For other uses, see Quorn (disambiguation). ... A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... Not to be confused with California Highway Patrol. ... Solar panels are used in passive and active solar hot water systems Passive solar technologies convert sunlight into usable heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use, without the assistance of other energy sources. ... “LED” redirects here. ... The light bulb is one of the most significant inventions in the history of the human race, illuminating the darkness of the evening and bringing light indoors at all times in order focus on the task at hand. ... This article or section should include material from Parallel Path See also Perpetuum mobile as a musical term Perpetual motion machines (the Latin term perpetuum mobile is not uncommon) are a class of hypothetical machines which would produce useful energy in a way science cannot explain (yet). ...

Mass transportation increases energy efficiency compared to widespread conventional automobile use while air travel is regarded as inefficient. Conventional combustion engine automobiles have continually improved their efficiency and may continue to do so in the future, for example by reducing weight with new materials. Hybrid vehicles can save energy by allowing the engine to run more efficiently, regaining energy from braking, turning off the motor when idling in traffic, etc. More efficient ceramic or diesel engines can improve mileage. Electric vehicles such as Maglev, trolleybuses, and PHEVs are more efficient during use (but maybe not if doing a life cycle analysis) than similar current combustion based vehicles, reducing their energy consumption during use by 1/2 to 1/4. Microcars or motorcycles may replace automobiles carrying only one or two people. Transportation efficiency may also be improved by in other ways, see automated highway system. A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... A Silk Air Airbus A320-200 in the air. ... For other types of Hybrid Transportation, see Hybrid (disambiguation)#Transportation. ... Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos). ... This article is about the fuel. ... An electric vehicle is a vehicle that is propelled by electric motors. ... Transrapid at the Emsland test facility Transrapid maglev in Shanghai Magnetic levitation transport, or maglev, is a radically new form of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles via electro-magnetic energy. ... Further information: electric bus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram or simply trolley) is an electric bus powered by two overhead wires, from which it draws electricity using two trolley poles. ... A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or gas-electric hybrid fueled vehicle is a hybrid which has additional battery capacity and the ability to be recharged from an external electrical outlet. ... A Messerschmitt KR200. ... An automated highway system (AHS) or Smart Roads, is an advanced Intelligent transportation system technology designed to provide for driverless cars on specific rights-of-way. ...

Electricity distribution may change in the future. New small scale energy sources may be placed closer to the consumers so that less energy is lost during electricity distribution. New technology like superconductivity or improved power factor correction may also decrease the energy lost. Distributed generation permits electricity "consumers", who are generating electricity for their own needs, to send their surplus electrical power back into the power grid. 11kV/400V-230V transformer in an older suburb of Wellington, New Zealand Electricity distribution is the penultimate stage in the delivery (before retail) of electricity to end users. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor, cooled with liquid nitrogen. ... Power factor correction (PFC) is a technique of counteracting the undesirable effects of electric loads that create a power factor (p. ... Distributed generation generates electricity from many small energy sources. ...

Various market-based mechanisms have been proposed as means of increasing efficiency, such as deregulation of electricity markets, Negawatt power, and trading of emission rights. Smart appliances that require only intermittent use (like laundry machines and dishwashers) could be programmed to start only when demand is low at night or during sunny or windy periods of peak production in the case of solar and wind power. This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. ...

Energy storage and transportation fuel

Main article: energy storage

Energy is often needed at times and locations it is not available, especially for powering transportation vehicles. Such needs require transportation fuels and methods of storing energy. In some situations energy demand can be shifted. Energy storage is the storing of some form of energy that can be drawn upon at a later time to perform some useful operation. ...

Electric-powered vehicles

Main articles: battery, battery electric vehicle

Batteries are used to store energy in a chemical form. As an alternative energy, batteries can be used to store energy in battery electric vehicles. Battery electric vehicles can be charged from the grid when the vehicle is not in use. Because the energy is derived from electricity, battery electric vehicles make it possible to use other forms of alternative energy such as wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, or hydroelectric. Symbols representing a single Cell (top) and Battery (bottom), used in circuit diagrams. ... For electric vehicles other than battery powered passenger automobiles, see electric vehicle. ... For electric vehicles other than battery powered passenger automobiles, see electric vehicle. ... For other uses, see Wind (disambiguation). ... Look up solar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Geothermal power is electricity generated by utilizing naturally occurring geological heat sources. ... Look up nuclear in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ...

Pros

• Produces zero direct emissions to help counteract the effects of global warming.
• Batteries are a mature technology, no new expensive research and development is needed to implement technology.
• Current lead acid battery technology offers 50+ miles range on one charge. ^[37]
• The Tesla Roadster has a 200 mile range on one charge.
• Batteries make it possible for stationary alternative energy generation such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, or hydroelectric.
• Electric motors are 90% efficient compared to about 20% efficiency of an internal combustion engine. ^[38]
• No new major infrastructure is needed to charge battery electric vehicles.
• Battery electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines, thus improving the reliability of the vehicle.
• Battery electric vehicles are quiet compared to internal combustion engines.
• Multiple electric vehicles sold out including the General Motors EV1 and the Tesla Roadster proving the demand for battery electric vehicles.
• Operation of a battery electric vehicle is approximately 2 to 4 cents per mile. About a sixth the price of operating a gasoline vehicle. ^[39]
• The use of Battery Electric Vehicles eliminates the dependency on foreign oil.

Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ... The Tesla Roadster is the first fully electric automobile to be produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. ... Look up solar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Wind (disambiguation). ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... Look up nuclear in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... EV1 redirects here. ... The Tesla Roadster is the first fully electric automobile to be produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. ...

Cons

• The energy used in electric vehicles needs to be derived from other sources.
• Current battery technology is expensive.
• Battery electric vehicles have a relative short range compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.
• Most battery refueling methods are time consuming compared to gasoline and diesel refueling

Transportation alternatives

Nuclear power has been used in large ships.^[40] High technology sails could provide some of the power for ships.^[41] Airships require less onboard fuel than a traditional aircraft and combining airship technology with glider technology may eliminate onboard fuel completely.^[42] Personal rapid transit and some mass transportation systems, like trolleybus, metro or magnetic levitation trains, can use electricity directly from the grid and do not need a liquid fuel or battery. A sail is a surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind; basically it is a vertically oriented wing. ... USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... For other uses, see Glider (disambiguation). ... Personal rapid transit (PRT), also called personal automated transport (PAT) or podcar is a public transportation concept that offers automated on-demand non-stop transportation, on a network of specially-built guideways. ... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... Further information: electric bus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram or simply trolley) is an electric bus powered by two overhead wires, from which it draws electricity using two trolley poles. ... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway — usually in an urban area — with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... Transrapid at the Emsland test facility Transrapid maglev in Shanghai Magnetic levitation transport, or maglev, is a radically new form of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles via electro-magnetic energy. ...

Space Exploration

In the long-term future space exploration could yield a number of energy sources, though they are unlikely to be relevant in tackling humanity's current difficulties with energy sources. Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. ...

The nearest-term possibility is solar power satellites, where solar cells are placed on orbiting platforms in 24-hour sunlight; the energy is then beamed to earth as microwaves received by arrays of receiving antennas. A fundamental development in space launch technology (such as a space elevator) would be required to make them economically viable. In order to overcome the launch costs of solar power satellites, O'Neill et al proposed using lunar material for a low profile, rapid (90 day doubling time) expansion system for creating such a massive industrial development using partially self-replicating systems under telepresence control of remote human workers^[43] An artists depiction of a solar satellite, which could send energy wirelessly to a space vessel or planetary surface. ... A solar cell, made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. ... This article is about the type of Electromagnetic radiation. ... A space elevator would consist of a cable anchored to the Earths surface, reaching into space. ... Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location. ...

Fissionable materials could theoretically be obtained from asteroid mining; however, the technical barriers to asteroid mining are probably considerably higher than those of breeder reactors, which remove any practical supply constraints on fission power. Another interesting long-term possibility is the mining of helium-3 from the Moon for use in aneutronic fusion reactors, which have several advantages over the fusion reactor designs currently being experimented with. Helium-3 is unavailable in quantity on Earth. However, even "conventional" fusion power reactors are decades away from commercialization. Another suggestion is electrodynamic tethers. 433 Eros is a stony asteroid in a near-Earth orbit Raw resources and minerals could be mined from an asteroid in space using a variety of methods. ... Helium-3 is a non-radioactive and light isotope of helium. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... Base for aneutronic nuclear fusion. ... Electrodynamic tethers are long conducting wires (such as the one deployed from the tether satellite) which can operate on the well known electromagnetic priciples as a generator (via converting its velocity to electric energy) or engine (ultilizing electric energy for velocity). ...

In the very distant future, a spacefaring humanity has a number of options for very large-scale power generation; as well as fusion and very large-scale solar power (of which the ultimate such is the Dyson sphere) there has been speculation as to how an extremely advanced society might exploit the mass-energy conversion capabilities of black holes (like the accretion disc). Such technologies are obviously far beyond our present capabilities, and are at this stage essentially thought experiments for engineers and science fiction writers. A cut-away diagram of an idealized Dyson shell—a variant on Dysons original concept—1 AU in radius. ... For other uses, see Black hole (disambiguation). ... Artists conception of a binary star system with one black hole and one main sequence star Unsolved problems in physics: Accretion disc jets: Why do the discs surrounding certain objects, such as the nuclei of active galaxies, emit radiation jets along their polar axes? These jets are invoked by... In philosophy, physics, and other fields, a thought experiment (from the German Gedankenexperiment) is an attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination. ...

See also

Energy Portal

• Energy harvesting and storing
  • Comparison of power plants
  • Distributed generation
  • Fusion power
  • Inertial fusion energy
  • Renewable energy
  • Wind power
  • Solar power
  • Thermal depolymerization
• Energy usage
  • 2000 Watt society
  • Action on climate change
  • Energy conservation
  • Earth's energy budget
  • Energy crisis
  • Energy: world resources and consumption
  • Kardashev scale
  • Oil phase-out in Sweden
  • World energy resources and consumption
  • Economies
    • Comparison of automobile fuel technologies
    • Hydrogen economy
    • The Hype about Hydrogen
    • Liquid nitrogen economy
    • Lithium economy
    • Low-carbon economy
    • Vegetable oil economy
    • Zinc economy
• Issues
  • Mitigation of global warming
  • Environmental concerns with electricity generation
  • Peak Oil

Image File history File links Crystal_128_energy. ... Energy harvesting is the process by which energy is captured and stored. ... Charactaristics: percentage of the worlds supply of electricity cost per Kw pollution maintenance cost construction time infrastructure cost depreciation % per year Energy production range Production capacity Energy stability externalities - include negative and positive externalities. ... Distributed generation generates electricity from many small energy sources. ... Internal view of the JET tokamak superimposed with an image of a plasma taken with a visible spectrum video camera. ... In inertial confinement fusion (ICF), nuclear fusion reactions are initiated by heating and compressing a target – a pellet that most often contains deuterium and tritium – by the use of intense laser or ion beams. ... Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ... An example of a wind turbine. ... Solar power describes a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the sun. ... Thermal depolymerization (TDP) is a process for the reduction of complex organic materials (usually waste products of various sorts, often known as biomass) into light crude oil. ... The 2000 Watt society is a vision, originated by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at the end of the 1998, in which each person in the developed world would cut their energy use to an average of no more than 2,000 Watts by the year 2050, without lowering... The issue of human-caused, or anthropogenic, climate change (global warming) is becoming a central focus of the Green movement. ... For the physical concepts, see conservation of energy and energy efficiency. ... The Earth can be considered as a physical system with an energy budget that includes all gains of incoming energy and all losses of outgoing energy. ... This article is about energy crises in general. ... Kardashev scale projections ranging from 1900 to 2100. ... Crude oil prices, 1994-2007 (not adjusted for inflation) In 2005 the government of Sweden announced their intention to make Sweden the first country to break its dependence on petroleum, natural gas and other ‘fossil raw materials’ by 2020. ... World power usage in terawatts (TW), 1965-2005. ... ... A hydrogen economy is a hypothetical economy in which the energy needed for motive power (for automobiles or other vehicle types) or electricity (for stationary applications) is derived from reacting hydrogen (H2) with oxygen. ... The Hype about Hydrogen, Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate is a book by Joseph J. Romm, published in 2004 (ISBN 1-55963-703-X) and updated in 2005 (ISBN 1-55963-704-8). ... A liquid nitrogen (LN2) economy is a hypothetical proposal for a future economy in which the primary form of energy storage and transport is liquid nitrogen. ... The Lithium Economy is a concept analogous to the Hydrogen Economy, Methanol economy, Ethanol economy or Liquid Nitrogen Economy but where the energy vector is Lithium instead of Hydrogen, methanol or ethanol. ... A low-carbon economy is an economy in which carbon dioxide emissions from the use of carbon based fuels (coal, oil and gas) are significantly reduced. ... // There is a limited amount of fossil fuel in the ground. ... The zinc economy is a concept analogous to the hydrogen economy, methanol economy, ethanol economy, lithium economy or liquid nitrogen economy. ... Global carbon dioxide emissions 1800–2000 Global average surface temperature 1850 to 2006 Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions aimed at reducing the extent of global warming. ... Modern technology uses large amounts of electrical power. ... For other uses, see Peak oil (disambiguation). ...

External links

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Image File history File links Emblem-important. ...

Organizations

• IEA Energy Information Centre
  • World Energy Outlook series, free before 2003, different focus each year
  • Free publications from IEA
• WEC Survey of Energy Resources
  • Online publications from WEC
  • Links to a broad range of international governmental and non-governmental organisations
• U.S. Energy Information Agency
  • International energy outlook 2004
  • Related Energy Links
• U.S. The Alternative Fuels Data Center
• U.S. Office of Fossil Energy
• Rocky Mountain Institute articles on energy
• Electricity Storage Association on articles on energy storage
• Information Network on the Technology of Utilisation and Sustainability of Energy Resources
• ASPO Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas
• Energy and Climate publications from the Tellus Institute
• OPEC, Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries
  • Open Oil Outlook to 2025

Articles

• Order of Magnitude Morality
• Do we need nuclear power?
• Progress and its sustainability
• Nine Critical Questions to Ask About Alternative Energy
• World energy beyond 2050
• Critical Hour: Three Mile Island, The Nuclear Legacy, And National Security Online book by Albert J. Fritsch, Arthur H. Purcell, and Mary Byrd Davis (2005)
• The History and Future of World Energy, The Quaker Economist, vol. 7, #155, 2007.

References

• Greene, D.L. & J.L. Hopson. (2003). Running Out of and Into Oil: Analyzing Global Depletion and Transition Through 2050 ORNL/TM-2003/259, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Octobe
• Kahn, H. et al. (1976) The Next 200 Years: A Scenario for America and the World ISBN 0-349-12071-4
• Rodenbeck, Christopher T. and Chang, Kai, "A Limitation on the Small-Scale Demonstration of Retrodirective Microwave Power Transmission from the Solar Power Satellite", IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, August 2005, pp. 67–72.
• The above sites Solar Power Satellites Office of Technology Assessment, US Congress, OTA-E-144, Aug. 1981.

Inline references