Avoiding Carbon Apocalypse Through Alternative Energy: Life After Fossil Fuels

152 Pages·2017·8.15 MB·English

by  John Lowry (auth.)

John Lowry
Avoiding Carbon
Apocalypse
Through
Alternative Energy
Life After Fossil Fuels
Avoiding Carbon Apocalypse Through
Alternative Energy
John Lowry
Avoiding Carbon Apocalypse
Through Alternative Energy
Life After Fossil Fuels
123
JohnLowry
Bishopstone, Wiltshire
UK
ISBN978-3-319-52194-7 ISBN978-3-319-52195-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-52195-4
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016963421
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Preface
We have reached the point where the carbon emissions released from combusting
fossil fuels are causing global warming. Almost 95% of scientific experts are in
agreement that this is a real problem.
Global warming gives rise to a myriad of problems, chief among which is sea
level rise, which will cause widespread flooding. Global warming is also likely to
affect food production, to affect the spread of diseases and to endanger wildlife.
After the Paris conference held at the end of 2015, a number of countries
worldwide agreed to limit the average increase in temperature to 2 °C, although
how they will achieve this is not yet totally clear.
Existing technology has developed to the point where we could free ourselves
from combusting fossil fuels for the generation of energy, as well as for transport.
Notonlywillthisallowustostopreleasingcarbondioxide,oneofthechiefcauses
of global warming, but it also looks as though this option could make more eco-
nomic sense than using fossil fuels for power generation and transport.
Thisbookexplainsthevariousavailablesustainabletechnologiesandalternative
transport systems. It examines the economics of sustainable power production and
shows how the new technology can be implemented and in what timescale. This
book shows how carbon dioxide released due to combustion offossil fuels can be
eliminated entirely, rather than simply reduced.
Bishopstone, UK John Lowry
v
Contents
1 Introduction... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 What Is Meant by the Carbon Apocalypse? ... .... ..... .... 1
1.2 Rationale for This Book.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.3 Global Warming... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 2
1.4 World Opinion.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 10
1.5 Fossil Fuel Depletion .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 10
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 12
2 EnergyProducedandCarbonReleasedfromFossilFuelsandthe
Amount of Alternative Energy Required as a Replacement... .... 13
2.1 Use and Production of Power and Energy from
Fossil Fuels... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.2 Transport .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.3 Electricity Generation.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 15
2.4 How Much Alternative Energy Do We Need
to Replace This?... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 19
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 21
3 Electrical Super Grids... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 23
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 27
4 Alternative, Sustainable and Nuclear Energy . .... .... ..... .... 29
4.1 Solar Power .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 29
4.2 Wind Energy . .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 34
4.3 Water Energy. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 36
4.3.1 Hydroelectricity.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 36
4.4 Tidal Energy.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 38
4.4.1 Marine Currents.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 39
4.4.2 Wave Power .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 41
4.5 Obtaining Energy from Waste . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 41
4.6 Geothermal Energy. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 41
4.7 Nuclear Power .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 42
vii
viii Contents
4.8 Nuclear Fusion.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 47
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 48
Reading List ... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49
5 Hydrogen and Other Synthesised Fuels.. .... .... .... ..... .... 51
5.1 Biofuels . .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 51
5.2 Hydrogen as a Fuel ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 54
5.3 Synthesised Fuel... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 56
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 62
6 Energy Storage .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 63
6.1 The Need for Energy Storage.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 63
6.2 Rechargeable Electric Batteries. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 65
6.3 Pumped Hydro Storage... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 66
6.4 Storing Energy Through Hydrogen and Generating Power
Through Gas Turbines ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 68
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 69
7 Economics .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 71
7.1 The Cost of Generating Energy from Non-fossil
Fuel Sources.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 71
7.2 The Cost of Storage ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 74
7.3 The Cost of Doing Nothing ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 74
7.4 The Cost of Adapting Infrastructure for Energy Produced by
Alternative Means.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 76
7.5 The Price of Fossil Fuels . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 77
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 77
8 Land Transport Without Fossil Fuels ... .... .... .... ..... .... 79
8.1 Land Transport.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 79
8.1.1 Trains .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 80
8.2 Road Transport.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 82
8.2.1 Battery Electric Vehicles and Light Vans .. ..... .... 82
8.2.2 Hybrid Electric Vehicles ... .... .... .... ..... .... 89
8.2.3 Fuel Cell Vehicles.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 90
8.2.4 Autonomous Cars .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 94
8.2.5 Electric Bikes ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 95
8.2.6 Electric Motorbikes... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 97
8.2.7 Trams and Trolley Buses... .... .... .... ..... .... 98
8.2.8 Road Rail Systems ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 100
8.2.9 Agriculture and Plant Without Fossil Fuels. ..... .... 103
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 104
9 Air and Sea Transport Without Fossil Fuels.. .... .... ..... .... 107
9.1 Aircraft Not Dependent on Fossil Fuels .. .... .... ..... .... 107
9.2 Ships Not Dependent on Fossil Fuels.... .... .... ..... .... 117
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 122
Contents ix
10 Do We Have the Resources?... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 123
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 127
11 Energising the World Using Non-fossil Fuel Sources ... ..... .... 129
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 137
12 Final Infrastructure. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 139
12.1 Proposed Infrastructure... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 139
12.2 The Sustainable Energy Generation System ... .... ..... .... 139
12.3 Electrical Super Grids.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 140
12.4 Energy Storage.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 140
12.5 Transport .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 140
12.6 Agricultural Machinery and Heavy Plant . .... .... ..... .... 142
12.7 Other Benefits of Energy and Transport Free
from Fossil Fuels .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 142
12.8 Deaths from Road Transport... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 143
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 143
13 Avoiding the Carbon Apocalypse... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 145
Appendix. .... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 147
Index .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 149
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 What Is Meant by the Carbon Apocalypse?
By carbon apocalypse, we mean a situation in which very serious damage and
destruction occurs as a result of the release of carbon dioxide. This is largely
brought about by combusting fossil fuels to make electric power and to fuel
transport.Thisisnowconsideredtobringaboutglobalwarming,whichhasseveral
consequences including catastrophic sea level rise.
There are also longer-term consequences that will be caused by the eventual
depletion offossil fuels.
1.2 Rationale for This Book
It is essential that we deal with the consequences of global warming which the
majority of scientists have predicted.
This book outlines a serious plan for freeing the world from using fossil fuels
totally,notjustlimiting theiruseorlimitingthetemperaturerisecaused bycarbon
releaseto2 °C(wehavealreadyreached 1.5 °C).Theplanoutlinedwillprovidea
better solution than that of many of today’s technologies. The suggested solutions
are based on current technology and not on future technologies that will doubtless
arrive one day but cannot produce a solution now. Overall, the technologies out-
lined will provide a less expensive solution to the issue of energising and running
theplanet,sotheusualexcusefordoingnothing,namely‘itistooexpensive’,does
not apply.
©SpringerInternationalPublishingAG2017 1
J.Lowry,AvoidingCarbonApocalypseThroughAlternativeEnergy,
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-52195-4_1
2 1 Introduction
1.3 Global Warming
ModelsproducedbyNASA,amongothers,predictthatastheworldconsumesever
more fossil fuel, greenhouse gas concentrations will continue to rise, and the
Earth’s average surface temperature will rise with them. Based on a range of
plausible emission scenarios, average surface temperatures could rise between
2 °C and 6 °C by the end of the 21st century and this is likely to be catas-
trophic (Fig. 1.1).
Themeansurfacetemperaturehasalreadyrisenbynearly1.2 °Candthisriseis
accelerating.
This book outlines a serious plan for freeing the world from using fossil fuels
totally,notjustlimitingtheiruseorthetemperaturerisecausedbycarbonreleaseto
1.5°C.Theplanoutlinedwillproduceabettertechnicalandeconomicsolutionthan
many of today’s technologies have provided. The solutions outlined are based on
technology which is already developed and not on future technologies which will
doubtless arrive one day but cannot produce solutions now. The technologies
outlined provide a less expensive solution to energizing and running theplanet, so
the usual excuse for doing nothing—it is too expensive—does not apply.
(we have already reached 1.5 °C). The plan outlined will produce a better
technicalandeconomicsolutionthanmanyoftoday’stechnologieshaveprovided.
The suggested solutions are based on current technology and not on future tech-
nologies that will doubtless arrive one day but cannot produce solutions now.
Overall, the technologies outlined provide a less expensive solution to energizing
and running the planet, so the usual excuse for doing nothing namely, ‘it is too
expensive’, does not apply.
Globalwarmingreferstotheriseoftheearth’stemperatureandisconsideredto
be predominantly caused by the combustion offossil fuels. There is some contro-
versy as to whether this is the case; however, multiple studies published in
Fig.1.1 Approximate decadal average temperature rise since 1850. Source Courtesy of IPCC
http://treealerts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ipcc-warming-graph.jpg