Energy : The World's Race for Resources in the 21st Century

by Wagner, Hermann-Josef

• ISBN13: 9781906598082
• ISBN10: 1906598088
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-01
• Publisher: Haus Pub

Summary

The future of our energy supply is an explosive topic. Unprecedented population growth means that energy consumption will continue to rise dramatically in the future, significantly altering the balance of political power across the globe. Hermann-Josef Wagner warns us that the need to find alternative sources of energy is becoming ever more urgent.

Author Biography

Hermann-Josef Wagner is Head of the Energy Systems and Energy Economics Department and Director of the Institute of Energy at the Ruhr-University, Bochum. He specialises in energy economics and technology, and the main focus of his research is on regenerative energy and energy production of the future.

Table of Contents

Editor's Foreword	p. ix
Foreword	p. 1
The Different Faces of Energy
The Forms and Units of Energy	p. 5
The Energy Chain	p. 7
Energy Units	p. 9
Nature's Energy Supply	p. 13
Coal	p. 14
Oil	p. 17
Natural Gas	p. 20
Nuclear Fuels	p. 22
Renewable Energies	p. 24
Energy Consumption and Population Growth
Statistics on Today's Energy Consumption	p. 31
Energy Use Worldwide	p. 36
Energy Consumption in Everyday Life	p. 38
Example: A Four-Person Household in Germany	p. 39
Comparison with India	p. 44
The Poor and the Rich	p. 47
Does Energy Consumption Follow Population Growth?	p. 52
The Division into "Prosperity Classes"	p. 52
Growth of Energy Consumption	p. 54
Redistribution	p. 57
Energy - A Commercial Product
Energy is a Commodity	p. 63
Brown Coal	p. 64
Hard Coal	p. 64
Oil	p. 67
The Role of OPEC	p. 69
Oil as a Source of Tax Revenues	p. 73
Oil from the Consumer's Point of View	p. 74
Natural Gas	p. 76
The Special Features of Grid-Bound Energy Sources	p. 78
Decontrol Shapes the Markets	p. 78
Commodity-Exchange Trading	p. 82
Integrated Grid Systems	p. 83
Electric Power in Developing Countries	p. 83
The State Steps In	p. 84
What Does Electricity Cost?	p. 86
The Run on Energy Stocks
The Race for Deposit Areas	p. 93
The Geography of Deposit Areas	p. 93
Technological Problems of Access	p. 97
Economic Problems of Access	p. 99
Geographical Problems of Access	p. 103
Political Problems of Access	p. 104
The Oil Will Be Used Up Within Forty Years	p. 108
Energy Use and the Environment
Energy Conversion Creates Air Pollution	p. 119
Pollution and Types of Environmental Damage	p. 119
How They Get to Us	p. 123
Air Pollutants and Their Effects	p. 124
Successes in Emissions Reduction	p. 129
Successes in Air-Pollution Control in Industrialized Countries	p. 132
The Emerging-Market Countries Follow	p. 133
Air-Pollution Control Costs Money	p. 134
Controlling Greenhouse Gases	p. 135
Waste Heat and Greenhouse Gases	p. 137
Waste Heat	p. 137
Carbon Dioxide and Other Greenhouse Gases	p. 138
National and International Policies	p. 143
The Cost of CO2 Reduction	p. 147
A Ray of Hope: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies
Saving Energy	p. 153
Past Successes	p. 155
Possibilities for Improved Economy and Efficiency	p. 156
The Conflict between Consumer Behavior and Energy Efficiency	p. 163
Hydroelectric Power and Biomass	p. 166
Hydroelectric Power	p. 167
Biomass	p. 172
Solar and Wind Energy	p. 178
Solar Panels	p. 178
Solar Power Stations	p. 180
Photovoltaics	p. 183
Wind Power	p. 188
Energy Use Is an Ethical Question
Energy Supply - The Key Question	p. 199
The Choice of Energy Sources	p. 201
The Time Frame	p. 206
On the Way to the Energy World of the Future
Modeling Games for Tomorrow	p. 211
Scenarios and Forecasts	p. 211
Worldwide Considerations	p. 212
Expectations for the Future	p. 213
Components of the Energy Mix	p. 217
Power Stations	p. 219
Heat Production	p. 221
Transportation	p. 221
Nuclear Power	p. 222
Cogeneration of Heat and Power	p. 223
Renewable Energies and Measures for Increased Energy Efficiency	p. 224
Hydrogen	p. 224
Geothermal Energy	p. 226
Storage	p. 227
Energy Transfer over Large Areas	p. 227
Centralized vs. Decentralized	p. 228
The Challenge of Energy - Using our Opportunities
The Facts	p. 233
Renewable Energies - Our Hope for the Future	p. 236
Using Less Energy in the Future	p. 238
Cheap Energy is Running Low	p. 240
A Look to the Future	p. 242
Glossary	p. 245
Bibliography	p. 251
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