Energy Geography

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry D. Solomon ◽  
Martin J. Pasqualetti
Keyword(s):  
Coming Out ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
First Century ◽  
Energy Budgets ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
The Earth

Fossil fuels powered the Industrial Revolution and they continue to dominate our lives as we enter the twenty-first century. Yet there are clear signs that the grip they have on every sector of society must soon relax in favor of other energy sources. Such a transition will not come because we are running out of fossil fuels, but rather because the environmental and social costs of their rapid use threaten our very existence on the planet. This is an expected development. From the time when fossil fuels first enabled and magnified humans’ dominion over the earth, the costs they brought—as any good economist would argue—have been inseparable from their benefits. Although the benefits were explicit and the local costs were experienced by many, it was not until skilled writers such as Zola, Orwell, Llewellyn, and Dickens vividly portrayed them that their widespread and pernicious nature was broadcast to those outside their immediate reach. Nowadays the problems we are grappling with have spread to the global scale, including atmospheric warming, thinning ozone, and rising exposure to above-background radioactivity. Understanding earth–energy associations is a task well matched to the varied skills of geographers. The worth of such study is increasingly apparent as the world’s human population continues to rise, as fossil fuels become more difficult to wrest from the earth, and as we continue to realize that there will be no risk-free, cost-free, or impact-free rabbits coming out of the alternative energy hat. In this chapter, we review developments in energy geography in the US and Canada as posted to the literature since the first edition of Geography in America, including a sprinkling from overseas to provide context. Owing to the fundamental nature of energy, we have accordingly cast a wide net in our background research, albeit with some boundaries. For example, while we discuss several important contributions to energy research by physical and environmental geographers, we excluded consideration of such themes as energy budgets, most climate change research, and mine-land reclamation and radioactive waste transport studies by hydrologists and geomorphologists.

The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives

2011 ◽  
Vol 369 (1938) ◽  
pp. 842-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Will Steffen ◽  
Jacques Grinevald ◽  
Paul Crutzen ◽  
 John McNeill
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
First Century ◽  
Earth History ◽  
Start Date ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Global Change Research ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Earth’S Climate

The human imprint on the global environment has now become so large and active that it rivals some of the great forces of Nature in its impact on the functioning of the Earth system. Although global-scale human influence on the environment has been recognized since the 1800s, the term Anthropocene , introduced about a decade ago, has only recently become widely, but informally, used in the global change research community. However, the term has yet to be accepted formally as a new geological epoch or era in Earth history. In this paper, we put forward the case for formally recognizing the Anthropocene as a new epoch in Earth history, arguing that the advent of the Industrial Revolution around 1800 provides a logical start date for the new epoch. We then explore recent trends in the evolution of the Anthropocene as humanity proceeds into the twenty-first century, focusing on the profound changes to our relationship with the rest of the living world and on early attempts and proposals for managing our relationship with the large geophysical cycles that drive the Earth’s climate system.

scholarly journals The GRENE-TEA model intercomparison project (GTMIP): overview and experiment protocol for Stage 1

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 2841-2856 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Miyazaki ◽  
K. Saito ◽  
J. Mori ◽  
T. Yamazaki ◽  
T. Ise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Energy Budgets ◽  
Model Intercomparison ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Intercomparison Project ◽  
Arctic Climate Change ◽  
Stage 1

Abstract. As part of the terrestrial branch of the Japan-funded Arctic Climate Change Research Project (GRENE-TEA), which aims to clarify the role and function of the terrestrial Arctic in the climate system and assess the influence of its changes on a global scale, this model intercomparison project (GTMIP) is designed to (1) enhance communication and understanding between the modelling and field scientists and (2) assess the uncertainty and variations stemming from variability in model implementation/design and in model outputs using climatic and historical conditions in the Arctic terrestrial regions. This paper provides an overview of all GTMIP activity, and the experiment protocol of Stage 1, which is site simulations driven by statistically fitted data created using the GRENE-TEA site observations for the last 3 decades. The target metrics for the model evaluation cover key processes in both physics and biogeochemistry, including energy budgets, snow, permafrost, phenology, and carbon budgets. Exemplary results for distributions of four metrics (annual mean latent heat flux, annual maximum snow depth, gross primary production, and net ecosystem production) and for seasonal transitions are provided to give an outlook of the planned analysis that will delineate the inter-dependence among the key processes and provide clues for improving model performance.

Climate change, sustainability and the need for a new industrial revolution in Scotland

2012 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sugden ◽  
Janette Webb ◽  
Andrew Kerr
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Major Commitment

ABSTRACTThis paper sets the wider global and Scottish context for this Special Issue of EESTRSE. Climate change is inextricably linked to wellbeing, security and sustainability. It poses a fundamental challenge to the way we organise society and our relationship to the exploitation of the Earth's resources. Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, linked to burning fossil fuels and land use, present a major risk of climate change, with serious but uncertain impacts emerging at a regional scale. A new industrial revolution is needed to achieve energy security and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with energy efficiency and energy production emitting low or no CO2 at its heart. At present, on a global scale, there is a mismatch between the emphasis on economic growth and the need to reduce emissions and achieve a sustainable use of resources. A more sustainable blueprint for the future is emerging in Europe and Scotland has much to gain economically and socially from this change. Scotland's ambitious emission reduction targets (42% cut by 2020 and 80% by 2050) are achievable, but require major commitment and investment. Despite success in cutting emissions from activities within Scotland, Scotland's consumption-based emissions rose by 11% in 1996–2004.

scholarly journals EXPO-2017: engine of alternative types of energy of the future

2019 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 01048
Author(s):  
Z. K. Ayupova ◽  
D. U. Kussainov ◽  
Zh. K. Madalieva ◽  
G. D. Rakhimova ◽  
B. Zh. Saparov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
First Century ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Republic ◽  
World Trend

The relevance of the topic is the development of alternative energy and search for new sources of energy as the main world trend of the twenty-first century. Using the energy of earth, wind, water and sun, humanity will stop polluting the environment and save valuable fossil resources. The Republic of Kazakhstan is well known with its stability and successful development. It is quite important not only for the country, but for the whole Central Asian region. Nowadays it is necessary to improve the energy returned on investment, and to make producing it cheaper. Wind power will be nearly very important in coming years. Probably the most established renewable energy source, besides hydro, becomes as cheap as fossil fuels in many markets around the world. The different types of the renewable energy were examined in this article.

scholarly journals A review on biogas production as the alternative source of fuel

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamalu Abdullahi Alhassan ◽  
Badamasi Tijjani Abdullahi ◽  
M. Manjur Shah
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
World Population ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
The World ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Challenges related to energy shortages are increasingly frequent both at the local and global scale due to population growth and the desire for a greater standard of living. The growing demand for oil and natural gas caused by high consumption levels is one of the current major problems faced by the world population. Therefore, new forms of energy generation must be investigated that would eventually allow the diversification of the present energy matrix, which has an almost 90% dependence on fossil fuels the world over. This coupled with long-term economic and environmental concerns have resulted in a great amount of research in the past decades on renewable sources of liquid fuels to replace fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil releases carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a major cause of global warming. It is anticipated that not a single source of alternative energy but a mix of various energy sources and carriers will contribute to the energy system of the future. Among the various sources been explored, biogas offer one of the best alternative options as they present a viable option for improving sustainable development through energy security and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. This paper elaborates on Biogas production as the alternative source of fuel. The paper also studies the importance of Biogas production as a means of reducing problem of power energy, environmental vandalism, loss of resources, climate change and also reduce environmental pollution caused by burning of woods, cars, motorcycle and industrial activities.

Geothermal energy resources: potential environmental impact and land reclamation

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amalesh Dhar ◽  
M. Anne Naeth ◽  
P. Devereaux Jennings ◽  
Mohamed Gamal El-Din
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Environmental Consequences

With increasing costs, finite sources, and adverse environmental impacts of fossil fuels, global attention has focused on developing renewable and clean sources of energy. Although geothermal energy is considered one of the most promising sources of renewable and clean energy, it may not be as benign as widely believed. In this paper, we evaluate the environmental challenges for geothermal resource extraction and describe potential reclamation strategies for disturbed ecosystems. Generally, the environmental impacts of geothermal power generation and direct use are minor and in most cases controllable. Geothermal plants have low emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia, and low land and water usage; these impacts can be minimized through appropriate mitigation measures. Other potential emissions such as mercury, boron, and arsenic may result in local and regional environmental consequences, although their impacts are poorly understood on a global scale. Geothermal plants can alter vegetation and wildlife habitat by reducing species diversity and community composition. There are small risks of subsidence, induced seismicity, and landslides, with potential serious consequences. Integration of timely reclamation during and after plant operation can significantly contribute to reducing long term reclamation costs while enhancing ecosystem recovery. This paper is expected to contribute to understanding environmental impacts associated with geothermal energy production and to determining appropriate mitigation and land reclamation strategies.

scholarly journals Metal Fuels as Alternative Sources of Energy for Zero Carbon Emission

2021 ◽  
Vol 943 (1) ◽  
pp. 012016
Author(s):  
T Liu ◽  
A Panahi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Economic Costs

Abstract Global climate change is a pressing challenge of the 21st century that has gained attention of scientists and governments. It has been proven that climate change is largely associated with human activities such as burning fossil fuels to produce electricity, which emits excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses. To combat this concern, carbon free alternative energy sources have been proposed. Current renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are expensive and limited. However, metal fuels could prove to be one of the solutions for those limitations. Since fossil fuels are the most common source of energy production, to be viable on a global scale, any new form of carbon-free energy must be economically competitive with fossil fuels. This work will determine the theoretical economic costs of several different metals which have comparable energy densities with fossil fuels. Furthermore, this work will evaluate the viability of these metals on a global scale based on their economic costs compared to fossil fuels including natural gas, petroleum, and coal. Additionally, further economic comparisons will be conducted with other forms of renewable energies, such as solar power, wind power, and hydropower.

scholarly journals The GRENE-TEA Model Intercomparison Project (GTMIP): overview and experiment protocol for Stage 1

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 3443-3479 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Miyazaki ◽  
K. Saito ◽  
J. Mori ◽  
T. Yamazaki ◽  
T. Ise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Energy Budgets ◽  
Model Intercomparison ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Intercomparison Project ◽  
Arctic Climate Change ◽  
Stage 1

Abstract. As part of the terrestrial branch of the Japan-funded Arctic Climate Change Research Project (GRENE-TEA), which aims to clarify the role and function of the Arctic terrestrial system in the climate system, and assess the influence of its changes on a global scale, this model intercomparison project (GTMIP) is planned and being conducted to (1) enhance communication and understanding between the "minds and hands" (i.e., between the modelling and field scientists) and (2) assess the uncertainty and variations stemming from variability in model implementation/design and in model outputs due to climatic and historical conditions in the Arctic terrestrial regions. This paper provides an overview and the experiment protocol of Stage 1 of the project, site simulations driven by statistically fitted data created using the GRENE-TEA site observations for the last three decades. The target metrics for the model evaluation cover key processes in both physics and biogeochemistry, including energy budgets, snow, permafrost, phenology, and carbon budgets. The preliminary results on four metrics (annual mean latent heat flux, annual maximum snow depth, gross primary production, and net ecosystem production) already demonstrate the range of variations in reproducibility among existing models and sites. Full analysis on annual as well as seasonal time scales, to be conducted upon completion of model outputs submission, will delineate inter-dependence among the key processes, and provide the clue for improving the model performance.

The Search for Global CO2 etc. ‘Greenhouse Effects’

1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherwood B. Idso
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Earth’S Atmosphere ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Natural Variations ◽  
Earth's Atmosphere ◽  
Greenhouse Effects

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere has been steadily increasing since the inception of the Industrial Revolution. Believed to be due primarily to the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests, this phenomenon has two potential consequences of global importance.Many scientists believe that the CO2 increases projected for Earth's atmosphere by the middle of the next century will lead to a significant warming of the planet which could severely impact world agriculture and cause a melting of polar ice which would greatly raise sea-levels and lead to the flooding of coastal lowlands. Others, however, point to the demonstrable positive effects of elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 on plant productivity and wateruse efficiency, suggesting that more CO2 in the air will be beneficial to The Biosphere. Against this backlog of controversy, scientists of both persuasions have attempted the ‘first detection’ of either or both of these effects on a global scale.With respect to the quest for a climatic ‘signal’, numerous studies conducted to date have come up emptyhanded; it is just not discernible from the natural variations inherent in the data. However, there does appear to be a manifestation of enhanced global photosynthetic activity in the yearly amplitude of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at a number of sites around the world; and the most logical explanation of that seems to be the CO2-induced enhancement of plant growth and development which has been demonstrated to occur in hundreds of laboratory and field experiments.

Slavery and the Trumpocene: It's Not the End of the World

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50
Author(s):  
Claire Colebrook
Keyword(s):  
Living System ◽  
Racial Violence ◽  
First Century ◽  
The West ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
End Of The World ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Geological Period

There is something more catastrophic than the end of the world, especially when ‘world’ is understood as the horizon of meaning and expectation that has composed the West. If the Anthropocene is the geological period marking the point at which the earth as a living system has been altered by ‘anthropos,’ the Trumpocene marks the twenty-first-century recognition that the destruction of the planet has occurred by way of racial violence, slavery and annihilation. Rather than saving the world, recognizing the Trumpocene demands that we think about destroying the barbarism that has marked the earth.

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