CONSUMPTION WILL LEAD TO RESOURCE SCARCITY EVENTUALLY – WE ARE ENTERING THIS ERA NOW BUT ARE IN COMPLETE DENIAL ABOUT IT. RARE EARTH’S ARE THE FIRST INDICATION. What are the manifestations and solutions? Challenges traditional supply/demand economic models Requires some component of morality based decision making Requires public policy based on avoiding the worse possible outcome 1.. The time is near (10-20 years) for the end of “cheap” fossil fuels as our energy foundation Solutions do exist – implementation takes leadership and the ability to think big The Public needs to become a lot more energy and climate literate in order for initiatives to succeed
Post WW II New Players = Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey
Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumptive patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives today is expressed in consumptive terms. consumptive terms
The Consumptive Mandate Waveform: if you got more, consume even more: Maintain BAU sustainability Greed
Accelerated Climate Change CONSUMPTION
LNG Importation development “Clean Coal” Fast Breeder Reactors NG Fracking (steel problem) Fastest gateway to energy economy Leads to Growth of GDP Accelerates Global CO 2 Deposition Reinforces BAU – mine the planet
Breaking out of BAU Consume less Drive less Plan ahead Invest in Renewable Energy infrastructure Have long term governmental goals Instill consumer morality based decision making Requires actual leadership Requires world cooperation – one planet Is this just too Damn Hard to Do?
But Solution Space Exists! Solar PV Solar PV Solar CSP; Solar Thermal Electric Solar CSP; Solar Thermal Electric Wind (ON shore and Off Shore) Wind (ON shore and Off Shore) Alternative Fuels (biodiesel, ethanol (grain and cellulosic, hydrogen, hybrids) Alternative Fuels (biodiesel, ethanol (grain and cellulosic, hydrogen, hybrids) Biomass Co-Generation Biomass Co-Generation OTEC; Gulf Current OTEC; Gulf Current Live in Ambient Partnership with Nature Live in Ambient Partnership with Nature
Barriers to Renewables High capital cost; long payback times High capital cost; long payback times Lack of any vision or out of the box thinking on truly large scale projects Lack of any vision or out of the box thinking on truly large scale projects NIMBY reactions to anything and everything makes implementation difficult NIMBY reactions to anything and everything makes implementation difficult Technology uncertainty Technology uncertainty Grid Limitations Grid Limitations Human apathy, ignorance, entitlement Human apathy, ignorance, entitlement
NATURE GOD HUMANS TREES ROCKS Connectivity Of Atoms Disconnected States HUMANS TREES ROCKS Super Nova Everything Is Connected to Everything Certainty Entitlement Aarogance Wisdom Enlightenment Humility
Evaluation Rubric For All forms of Renewables 1. MW output per surface area (MW/KM 2 ) 2. MW output per material use (MW/Ton) 3. MW output per job created (Jobs/MW) 4. MW output versus production time scale to bring on line (months/MW) 5. Capital cost per MW ($/Watt) 6. Realistic Levelized Cost (cents per KWH)
To Evaluate Competing Electricity Generating Technologies Develop an internally consistent indexing system for the 6 attributes listed previously (the dow jones is an index) Use real world data and real world physics to best determine the values Weight the indexes appropriately (real world cares about $/Watt and Jobs Created) Choose Baseline – we will use Solar in the following exercise
1. Land ~20 MW/km (over 24 hour day) = 1 2. Materials ~3 tons per kw = 1 3. Jobs ~3 jobs per MW 4. Time ~10 MW per month 5. Capital ~3$ per watt real facility cost 6. Levelized 10 cents per KWH
IndexSolarWindWavesBiomass Land Material13.21 Jobs1115 Time13.5 Capital Level Cumulative Index = 1+2+(1.5) (5)+1.25(6) Highest Index is Best
Solar = 7 Waves =4.75 Biomass =11 (because of jobs created) Wind = 17 (lower material intensity and low Levelized costs) In general, wind is more scalable than Solar and wind always beats Solar PV
Sonoran Desert Project: 300,000 square 2% coverage yields 100,000 MW
Lake Michigan Wind project down North South Axis: Populate 400 x 30 km box with 30 legs each containing MW turbines: 180,000 MW
Great Prairie Wind Farm with 100 MW vertical Wind Turbines: Construct 10,000 of these (Space Needle Size) and each per 125 square km. This produces 1TW of electricity and effectively replaces all other forms of electricity generation in the US.
Be Optimistic and ProActive Change can occur when consumers are properly informed. Technological solutions exist to make significant impact if deployed now Consume Less Technology is rapidly improving We are probably NOT Terminally Stupid
Correct this Our view of the world as a resource to use up must change! Profit vs Equity: Surplus Growth or Equity? Growth or Prosperity?Growth or Prosperity? This is your generations challenge:
WhatWhat Inequity Looks Like What
Recommendations Preserve Natural Capital: Protected Biodiversity Produce more efficiently Consume more wisely Redirect financial flows to support sustainability Equitable resource governance: Equitable resource governance also requires a changed definition of well-being and success that includes personal, societal and environmental health What process is needed for implementation?
You have three choices: Practice BAUGive UPProactive: Educate your Peers Make the Wise Choice