Global Climate Change - The Technology Challenge

Avoiding potentially catastrophic impacts of global warming means changing the current 3% CO2 global emission growth rate to a 1 - 3% declining rate. This book assesses the mitigation challenge, and considers ways to protect the planet from climate change.

In order to avoid the potentially catastrophic impacts of global warming, the current 3% CO2 global emission growth rate must be transformed to a 1 to 3% declining rate, as soon as possible. This will require a rapid and radical transformation of the world's energy production and end use systems. The current generation of energy technologies are not capable of achieving the level of mitigation required. Next generations of renewable, low carbon generation and end use technologies will be needed.

This book quantifies the mitigation challenge. It then considers the status of key technologies needed to protect the planet from serious climate change impact. Current and emerging technologies are characterized for their mitigation potential, status of development and potential environmental impacts. Power generation, mobile sources, industrial and building sectors are evaluated in detail. The importance and unique challenges for rapidly developing countries, such as China and India are discussed. Current global research and development efforts for key technologies are discussed. It is concluded that it will be necessary to substantially upgrade and accelerate the current worldwide RDD&D effort on both emerging energy technologies and those enabling technologies needed to improve mitigation effectiveness and economics. It will also be necessary to carefully evaluate the potential environmental characteristics of next generation technologies to avoid unacceptable health and ecological impacts.

Finally, given the monumental technological challenge associated with transforming the world's energy system, geoengineering options are evaluated, since if successfully deployed, they have the potential to allow more time for the necessary energy system transformation.

'This book on Climate Change not only gives a clear picture of the problem but suggests many of the pitfalls in solving it and recommends strongly, a research programto fill the gaps in our knowledge. It is a most useful reference book for all aspects of the problem.' William D. Ruckelshaus, Madrona Venture Group/Evergreen Venture

The book documents that from an energy/climate change viewpoint, civilization is on an unsustainable course The book describes the status of technologies needed to protect the planet for future generations The book concludes current technologies are inadequate and are not being developed at a pace consistent with the need Geoengineering options are objectively considered; although only in conceptual stages, they offer the potential to allow humankind to buy time as we transform our energy production and use system The book analyzes the unique mitigation challenges facing rapidly developing countries, such as China and India Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
IntroductionChapter 1: Glomate Climate Change and the Mitigation ChallengeChapter 2: Coal-And Coal/Biomass-Based Power GenerationChapter 3: Coal and Biomass to Liquid FuelsChapter 4: The Role of Nuclear Power in Reducing Greenhouse Gas EmissionsChapter 5: Renewable Energy: Status and Prospects Status of Electricity Generation from Renewable EnergyChapter 6: Mobile Source Mitigation OpportunitiesChapter 7: Buildings: Mitigation Opportunities with a Focus on Health ImplicationsChapter 8: Reduction of Multi-Pollutant Emissions from Industrial Sectors: The U.S. Cement Industry A Case StudyChapter 9: Geoengineering: Direct Mitigation of Climate WarmingChapter 10: Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment Issues in the Power SectorChapter 11: The Role of Technology in Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Sector in Developing Countries: The case of China, India, and MexicoChapter 12: Potential Adverse Environmental Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation StrategiesIndex