Tee L. Guidotti
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199325337
- eISBN:
- 9780190238803
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199325337.003.0010
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Epidemiology
Energy resources available for human use can be characterized as solar and carbon-based, solar and non-carbon-based (including wind), and planetary. Much of the developing world relies on biomass. ...
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Energy resources available for human use can be characterized as solar and carbon-based, solar and non-carbon-based (including wind), and planetary. Much of the developing world relies on biomass. Energy resources are divided as a practical matter into renewable and nonrenewable sources. But many nonrenewable resources behave as if they were renewable because supplies are far from depletion, such as oil. The immediate problem of fossil fuels is primarily a problem of reliance on coal. Nuclear energy is fraught with political, perceptual, and technical issues; fusion may yet be viable in the future. “Soft energy paths” include sustainable, low-impact energy sources applied to an energy regime characterized by conservation and local sourcing: solar, wind, renewable biofuels. Carbon capture and sequestration is a technology already proven on a small scale that is being scaled up to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from large sources. If mitigation efforts fail, climate engineering on a planetary may be the only alternative.Less
Energy resources available for human use can be characterized as solar and carbon-based, solar and non-carbon-based (including wind), and planetary. Much of the developing world relies on biomass. Energy resources are divided as a practical matter into renewable and nonrenewable sources. But many nonrenewable resources behave as if they were renewable because supplies are far from depletion, such as oil. The immediate problem of fossil fuels is primarily a problem of reliance on coal. Nuclear energy is fraught with political, perceptual, and technical issues; fusion may yet be viable in the future. “Soft energy paths” include sustainable, low-impact energy sources applied to an energy regime characterized by conservation and local sourcing: solar, wind, renewable biofuels. Carbon capture and sequestration is a technology already proven on a small scale that is being scaled up to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from large sources. If mitigation efforts fail, climate engineering on a planetary may be the only alternative.
Donald N. Zillman, Catherine Redgwell, Yinka O. Omorogbe, Lila Barrera-Hernández, and Barry Barton
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199532698
- eISBN:
- 9780191701054
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532698.003.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Environmental and Energy Law
The present energy economy, heavily dependent on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term. This book aims to explain how law can assist in, impede, or cope with the shift to a ...
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The present energy economy, heavily dependent on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term. This book aims to explain how law can assist in, impede, or cope with the shift to a world energy picture in 2030 that is significantly different from the one that exists today. It examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy and the environmental concerns about the carbon fuels, the impacts of the carbon economy on development goals, and whether more and more energy inputs are necessary to meet our economic and social aspirations given the potential for energy efficiency to move us beyond the carbon economy. The book also looks at several sectoral perspectives and technology-based approaches in moving to a new energy economy. These include the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, carbon sequestration techniques, demand controls, and the creation of new markets for tradeable emissions certificates.Less
The present energy economy, heavily dependent on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term. This book aims to explain how law can assist in, impede, or cope with the shift to a world energy picture in 2030 that is significantly different from the one that exists today. It examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy and the environmental concerns about the carbon fuels, the impacts of the carbon economy on development goals, and whether more and more energy inputs are necessary to meet our economic and social aspirations given the potential for energy efficiency to move us beyond the carbon economy. The book also looks at several sectoral perspectives and technology-based approaches in moving to a new energy economy. These include the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, carbon sequestration techniques, demand controls, and the creation of new markets for tradeable emissions certificates.
Donald N. Zillman
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199532698
- eISBN:
- 9780191701054
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532698.003.0014
- Subject:
- Law, Environmental and Energy Law
The decline in supplies of carbon fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), the increased worldwide demand for modern energy, political instability because of the geographic location of carbon fuels, ...
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The decline in supplies of carbon fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), the increased worldwide demand for modern energy, political instability because of the geographic location of carbon fuels, the needs of the least developed parts of the world, and the contribution of carbon fuels to climate change combine to compel a change in the current world energy picture with its heavy reliance on these fuels. Nuclear power addresses some of the carbon fuel concerns. However, the dark sides of nuclear power (accidental radiation release, risk of improper diversions, high costs) make it unattractive, and to some energy planners and thinkers, unacceptable. This chapter draws on statistics and commentary from some of the significant international organisations involved with nuclear power. The United States, despite its nuclear ambivalence, remains the nation with the most nuclear power plants and one of the major players in many aspects of nuclear energy. It has also been a pioneer in many aspects of nuclear law.Less
The decline in supplies of carbon fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), the increased worldwide demand for modern energy, political instability because of the geographic location of carbon fuels, the needs of the least developed parts of the world, and the contribution of carbon fuels to climate change combine to compel a change in the current world energy picture with its heavy reliance on these fuels. Nuclear power addresses some of the carbon fuel concerns. However, the dark sides of nuclear power (accidental radiation release, risk of improper diversions, high costs) make it unattractive, and to some energy planners and thinkers, unacceptable. This chapter draws on statistics and commentary from some of the significant international organisations involved with nuclear power. The United States, despite its nuclear ambivalence, remains the nation with the most nuclear power plants and one of the major players in many aspects of nuclear energy. It has also been a pioneer in many aspects of nuclear law.
Don Zillman, Catherine Redgwell, Yinka Omorogbe, and Lila K. Barrera-Hernández (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199532698
- eISBN:
- 9780191701054
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532698.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Environmental and Energy Law
The present energy economy, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term for many interconnected reasons. Climate change is now recognized as posing a ...
More
The present energy economy, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term for many interconnected reasons. Climate change is now recognized as posing a serious threat. Energy and resource decisions involving carbon fuels play a role in this threat. Fossil fuel reserves may be running short and many major reserves are in politically unstable parts of the world. Yet citizens in nations with rapidly developing economies aspire to the benefits of the modern energy economy. China and India alone have 2.4 billion potential customers for cars, industries, and electrical services. Even so, more than half of the world's citizens still lack access to energy. Decisions involving fossil fuels are therefore a significant part of the development equation. This volume explains how the law can impede or advance the shift to a world energy picture significantly different from that which exists today. It first examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy, including environmental concerns and development goals. It then provides international and regional legal perspectives, examining public international law, regional legal structures, the responses of international legal bodies, and the role of major international nongovernmental actors. The book then moves on to explore sectoral perspectives including the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, demand controls, and energy efficiency. Finally, it examines how particular states are, could, or should, be adapting legally to the challenges of moving beyond the carbon economy.Less
The present energy economy, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term for many interconnected reasons. Climate change is now recognized as posing a serious threat. Energy and resource decisions involving carbon fuels play a role in this threat. Fossil fuel reserves may be running short and many major reserves are in politically unstable parts of the world. Yet citizens in nations with rapidly developing economies aspire to the benefits of the modern energy economy. China and India alone have 2.4 billion potential customers for cars, industries, and electrical services. Even so, more than half of the world's citizens still lack access to energy. Decisions involving fossil fuels are therefore a significant part of the development equation. This volume explains how the law can impede or advance the shift to a world energy picture significantly different from that which exists today. It first examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy, including environmental concerns and development goals. It then provides international and regional legal perspectives, examining public international law, regional legal structures, the responses of international legal bodies, and the role of major international nongovernmental actors. The book then moves on to explore sectoral perspectives including the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, demand controls, and energy efficiency. Finally, it examines how particular states are, could, or should, be adapting legally to the challenges of moving beyond the carbon economy.
William R. Thompson and Leila Zakhirova
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190699680
- eISBN:
- 9780190909574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190699680.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Economy
In the last several upswings of the world economy, core innovations paired new engines with new fuels: steam engines with coal, internal combustion engines with petroleum, and numerous ...
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In the last several upswings of the world economy, core innovations paired new engines with new fuels: steam engines with coal, internal combustion engines with petroleum, and numerous electricity-driven applications with fossil fuels. In each instance, the new fuels initially were inexpensive, abundant, and incredibly powerful but also damaging to the climate and environment. Now we need to develop engines that can run using decarbonized fuels to minimize CO2 emissions. In this chapter we shift our focus to the implications of carbon-based energy sources, system leadership, and climate change. We first review the evidence for a strong relationship between global warming and fossil fuels and then consider what might be done to forestall the consequences of such a relationship.We then relate macro-level fluctuations in world economic growth to policy responses focusing largely on electricity and transportation.Less
In the last several upswings of the world economy, core innovations paired new engines with new fuels: steam engines with coal, internal combustion engines with petroleum, and numerous electricity-driven applications with fossil fuels. In each instance, the new fuels initially were inexpensive, abundant, and incredibly powerful but also damaging to the climate and environment. Now we need to develop engines that can run using decarbonized fuels to minimize CO2 emissions. In this chapter we shift our focus to the implications of carbon-based energy sources, system leadership, and climate change. We first review the evidence for a strong relationship between global warming and fossil fuels and then consider what might be done to forestall the consequences of such a relationship.We then relate macro-level fluctuations in world economic growth to policy responses focusing largely on electricity and transportation.
William R. Thompson and Leila Zakhirova
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190699680
- eISBN:
- 9780190909574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190699680.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Economy
No two system leaders were identical in their claims to being the most innovative states in their respective zones, eras, and periods of leadership. Nonetheless, three general categories emerge: ...
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No two system leaders were identical in their claims to being the most innovative states in their respective zones, eras, and periods of leadership. Nonetheless, three general categories emerge: maritime commercial leadership, a pushing of agrarian boundaries, and sustained industrial economic growth. Those that made breakthroughs in the latter category, of course, redefined the modern world. Frontiers were critically important in all four cases of system leadership (China, the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States), but not exactly in the same way. Major improvements in transportation/communication facilitated economic growth by making interactions more feasible and less expensive, although the importance of trade varied considerably. Expanding populations were a hallmark of all four cases, even if the scale of increase varied. Population growth and urbanization forced agriculture to become more efficient and provided labor for nonagricultural pursuits. Urban demands stimulated regional specialization, technological innovation, and energy intensification, expanding the size of domestic markets and contributing to scalar increases in production. Just how large those scalar increases were depended on the interactions among technological innovation, power-driven machinery, and energy transition. Yet no single change led automatically to technological leadership. While lead status was never gained by default, it helped to have few rivals. As more serious rivals emerged, technological leaderships became harder to maintain.Less
No two system leaders were identical in their claims to being the most innovative states in their respective zones, eras, and periods of leadership. Nonetheless, three general categories emerge: maritime commercial leadership, a pushing of agrarian boundaries, and sustained industrial economic growth. Those that made breakthroughs in the latter category, of course, redefined the modern world. Frontiers were critically important in all four cases of system leadership (China, the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States), but not exactly in the same way. Major improvements in transportation/communication facilitated economic growth by making interactions more feasible and less expensive, although the importance of trade varied considerably. Expanding populations were a hallmark of all four cases, even if the scale of increase varied. Population growth and urbanization forced agriculture to become more efficient and provided labor for nonagricultural pursuits. Urban demands stimulated regional specialization, technological innovation, and energy intensification, expanding the size of domestic markets and contributing to scalar increases in production. Just how large those scalar increases were depended on the interactions among technological innovation, power-driven machinery, and energy transition. Yet no single change led automatically to technological leadership. While lead status was never gained by default, it helped to have few rivals. As more serious rivals emerged, technological leaderships became harder to maintain.
William R. Thompson and Leila Zakhirova
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190699680
- eISBN:
- 9780190909574
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190699680.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Economy
Over the past two millennia, one state has tended to lead as the foremost producer of energy and new technology. While it has not been fully recognized, these leads have become increasingly reliant ...
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Over the past two millennia, one state has tended to lead as the foremost producer of energy and new technology. While it has not been fully recognized, these leads have become increasingly reliant on energy transitions that make new technological innovations relatively inexpensive. Since the edge of the incumbent system leader (the United States) appears to be eroding, the question is what might come next. As carbon-based fuels become scarcer and/or more damaging, new sources of energy will be needed. Renewable energy will be one of those sources, but it remains unclear whether a renewable regime can be constructed to replace the carbon regime and how long such a transition might take. In the absence of a new energy foundation, there is less reason to anticipate a change in systemic leadership in this century. One might also anticipate less likelihood of a successful response to global warming in the absence of global leadership. But these expectations assume that the energy–technology nexus is fundamental to the ascent of a new system leader. Rather than assume such a proposition, it is better to demonstrate its historical evolution since the fall of Rome by examining a sequence of state efforts to overcome the constraints of an agrarian political economy operating within the context of a solar energy regime. The story stretches from first-millennium China through the Italian city-states and Portugal to the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States. Once the historical foundation is laid, we then evaluate current U.S. and Chinese efforts to reform their energy foundations as part of a bid for future systemic leadership.Less
Over the past two millennia, one state has tended to lead as the foremost producer of energy and new technology. While it has not been fully recognized, these leads have become increasingly reliant on energy transitions that make new technological innovations relatively inexpensive. Since the edge of the incumbent system leader (the United States) appears to be eroding, the question is what might come next. As carbon-based fuels become scarcer and/or more damaging, new sources of energy will be needed. Renewable energy will be one of those sources, but it remains unclear whether a renewable regime can be constructed to replace the carbon regime and how long such a transition might take. In the absence of a new energy foundation, there is less reason to anticipate a change in systemic leadership in this century. One might also anticipate less likelihood of a successful response to global warming in the absence of global leadership. But these expectations assume that the energy–technology nexus is fundamental to the ascent of a new system leader. Rather than assume such a proposition, it is better to demonstrate its historical evolution since the fall of Rome by examining a sequence of state efforts to overcome the constraints of an agrarian political economy operating within the context of a solar energy regime. The story stretches from first-millennium China through the Italian city-states and Portugal to the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States. Once the historical foundation is laid, we then evaluate current U.S. and Chinese efforts to reform their energy foundations as part of a bid for future systemic leadership.