This was a keynote address presented to the International Uranium Conference in Perth, Western Australia on 11 June 2014. This address called for a dramatic change in approach from the uranium industry in the way view their business, focusing on the need for large scale clean energy in this century. For the presentation script please visit http://decarbonisesa.com/2014/06/11/actinide-age/ .

1. High Energy,
Low Pollution.
Why we must bring forward the Actinide Age

2. I'm from Brisbane, Australia and I'm
currently visiting India as part of a
yoga course. The reason I'm emailing
you, to be honest, is because I'm
scared. Scared of what lies ahead for
the future of our planet. I knew when
visiting India that I would suffer some
form of culture shock but in no way
was I prepared for the air pollution.
There is no escaping it forming a cloud
over the entire country and out to sea.
It is virtually a waste land.
Callum, 18 March 2013

4. Why?

5. As of 2009, majority
of Indians still use
traditional fuels such
as dried cow dung,
agricultural wastes,
and firewood as
cooking fuel.
(Atamand et al 2009)

6. Energykgoilequivalentcapita
-1
Population,millionsofpeople
Lo
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4 0 0 0
6 0 0 0
0
1 0 0 0
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
E n e rg y c o n su m p tio n p e r c a p ita
P o p u la tio n
Source: United Nations Population Division; World Bank (World Development Indictors)

7. Totalenergyconsumptionkgoilequivalent
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c a p ita e n e rg y c o n su m p tio n : E C
S o u rc e : U n ite d N a tio n s P o p u la tio n D iv isio n ; W o rld
B a n k (W o rld D e v e lo p m e n t In d ic a to rs); U n ite d
N a tio n s S ta tistic s D iv isio n
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S o u rc e : U n ite d N a tio n s P o p u la tio n D iv isio n ; W o rld
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2 0 5 0 p o p u la tio n x h ig h in c o m e p e r
c a p ita e n e rg y c o n su m p tio n : E J
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B a n k (W o rld D e v e lo p m e n t In d ic a to rs); U n ite d
N a tio n s S ta tistic s D iv isio n

8. Energykgoilequivalentcapita
-1
E C E J E U J
0
1 .0 1 0 1 3
2 .0 1 0 1 3
3 .0 1 0 1 3
4 .0 1 0 1 3
5 .0 1 0 1 3
> 2 x E C
> 3 x E C
Source: United Nations Population Division; World Bank (World Development Indictors)

9. 82 % Fossil
10 %
Biofuels
and other
waste
5 % Nuclear
2 % Hydro1 % Other
S o u rc e : IE A W o rld
E n e rg y S ta tis tic s 2 0 1 3
C o a l
O il
G a s

10. Today’s horror…
In 2012
• Household air pollution: 4.3 million deaths (cooking smoke)
• Ambient air pollution: 3.7 million deaths
The world’s “single highest health risk”
(World Health Organisation 2014)

11. … and tomorrow’s hazard
Source: IPCC WGIII AR5 2014

13. “Global temperature increases of ~4°C
or more above late-20th-century levels,
combined with increasing food
demand, would pose large risks to food
security globally and regionally” (high
confidence).
Source: IPCC WGII AR5 2014

14. HIGH ENERGY
LOW POLLUTION
DECARBONISED

16. EnergydensityasheatvalueGJt
-1
F ire w o o d C o a l O il L iq u id g a s
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
Source: World Energy Council 2013 (conversion factors)

18. “Ash from the burnt biomass is assumed to be returned to the
agricultural land to avoid long-term nutrient depletion of the soils on
which the crops are grown”.
(Turner, Elliston et al. 2013)

19. “We examined …planting of 5% of cleared farmland (~ 2.4 Mha)
by 2030, and extension of the area to 10% (~ 4.8 Mha) by 2050”.
(Crawford, Jovanovic et al. 2012, CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship)

20. Energykgoilequivalentcapita
-1
Population,billionsofpeople
L
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a
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H
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0
2 0 0 0
4 0 0 0
6 0 0 0
0
1 0 0 0
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
E n e rg y
p e r
c a p ita
P o p u la tio n

21. “Basic”, “Modern” or…?

22. “There could be considerable interim benefits from starting non-electrified
households on a low-capacity supply for certain hours of the day as a
step towards a longer-term solution.”
(The Secretary General's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change 2010)
In the ten years to 2000, there were 240 million new household
connections to electricity. This will continue to 2030.
(The Secretary General's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change 2010)

24. High Energy
Low Pollution
Decarbonised
Desalination
Transport Electrification
Agricultural intensification
Synthetic Fuels
Materials recovery
Reforestation

25. EnergydensityasheatvalueGJt
-1
F ire w o o d C o a l O il L iq u id g a s
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
EnergydensityasheatvalueGJt
-1
F ire w o o d C o a l O il L iq u id g a s U ra n iu m (L W R )
1
1 0
1 0 0
1 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: World Energy Council 2013 (conversion factors)