Climate change is on the public radar and in the rhetoric of politicians, but will likely have to be dealt with even if CO2 emissions are reduced to zero tomorrow. The issue of physical limits to our profligate and expanding levels of energy consumption, and what this means to the continued viability of current socio-economic structures, is much less understood. The Energy Sustainability Dilemma is now unfolding and will profoundly impact all future generations, unless the finite nature of non-renewable resources is managed for long term sustainability.

The limits to our ability to ever grow energy supply from non-renewable resources are now becoming evident. Although there is a debate in the timing of peak production of oil, gas and coal among energy experts, there is a general consensus that it is a question of “when”, not “if”. Given the sheer magnitude of the contribution of non-renewable hydrocarbons to our energy consumption, the peaking of production of these fuels has tremendous implications for our modern way of life, unless we begin to move toward more sustainable levels of consumption.

The concept that renewable forms of energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal and tidal can replace fossil fuels at anything like current levels of energy throughput is highly unlikely, given the low energy density and intermittent nature of these sources. A more sustainable energy future will necessitate a rethink of the way we use energy and the paradigm of continuous growth that has served us over the past couple of centuries .

This presentation focuses on the "Big Picture" and how the industrialized and developing countries fit into it, as well as what must be considered going forward to assure a more sustainable energy future.
#sustainability