The document discusses India's energy crisis, including its shortage of oil refining capacity and the need to modernize aging refineries to meet environmental standards. India relies on old refineries from the Soviet era that operate at low capacity and cause pollution. Only one new private refinery meets world-class standards. Seven other refineries could be modernized but bureaucratic delays are exacerbating India's impending energy crisis.
There is no doubt that human activity on Earth cause changes in the environment in which we live. Many of these environmental impacts are from the generation, handling and use of energy. The main reason for the existence of environmental impacts from the generation, handling and use of energy lies in the fact that the world consumption of primary energy from non-renewable sources (oil, coal, natural and nuclear gas) accounts for approximately 88% of full, leaving only 12% renewable sources. This heavy dependence on non-renewable energy sources has led, in addition to ongoing concern about the possibility of depletion of these sources, the emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which in 2013 was of 36.3 billion tonnes, approximately 3.9 times the amount issued in 1960 (9.3 billion tons). Regardless of the various solutions that may be adopted to eliminate or mitigate the causes of the greenhouse effect, the most important is undoubtedly the adoption of measures to contribute to the elimination or reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels in energy production, as well as its use more efficient in transport, industry, agriculture and urban areas (residential and commercial), given that the use and production of energy account for 57% of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. In this sense, the implementation of a sustainable energy system is essential.
Renewable energy, including wind and solar power, has experienced explosive growth in recent years with no sign of slowing down. Read our special report, How Renewables are Winning, to learn more about this rapid period of renewable energy advancement.
Nuclear Power – The Cons in the Debate by Dhruba Mukhopadhyay
Dr. Mukhopadhyay, FNA, is a retired Professor of
Geology, Calcutta University, and the Editor of Break-
through
There is no doubt that human activity on Earth cause changes in the environment in which we live. Many of these environmental impacts are from the generation, handling and use of energy. The main reason for the existence of environmental impacts from the generation, handling and use of energy lies in the fact that the world consumption of primary energy from non-renewable sources (oil, coal, natural and nuclear gas) accounts for approximately 88% of full, leaving only 12% renewable sources. This heavy dependence on non-renewable energy sources has led, in addition to ongoing concern about the possibility of depletion of these sources, the emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which in 2013 was of 36.3 billion tonnes, approximately 3.9 times the amount issued in 1960 (9.3 billion tons). Regardless of the various solutions that may be adopted to eliminate or mitigate the causes of the greenhouse effect, the most important is undoubtedly the adoption of measures to contribute to the elimination or reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels in energy production, as well as its use more efficient in transport, industry, agriculture and urban areas (residential and commercial), given that the use and production of energy account for 57% of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. In this sense, the implementation of a sustainable energy system is essential.
Renewable energy, including wind and solar power, has experienced explosive growth in recent years with no sign of slowing down. Read our special report, How Renewables are Winning, to learn more about this rapid period of renewable energy advancement.
Nuclear Power – The Cons in the Debate by Dhruba Mukhopadhyay
Dr. Mukhopadhyay, FNA, is a retired Professor of
Geology, Calcutta University, and the Editor of Break-
through
By analyzing macro-economic themes that are representative of energy and resource production and consumption, this report provides an overview of the near-term themes in cleantech as we see it.
John Upton has a great article on Grist.org around his take on the top 2013 environment stories. I thought I'd take the article and convert it into a presentation. He listed out 13 stories. Over the last few days, I converted each one into a few slides.
Here is the full presentation covering all 13 stories:
John Hanger Webinar: The Truth About Gas Drilling and America's Energy ChoicesMarcellus Drilling News
PowerPoint slides John Hanger, former Sec. of the PA DEP used to present a webinar for Marcellus Drilling News (http://marcellusdrilling.com) on July 12, 2012 titled: The Truth About Gas Drilling and America's Energy Choices. John is a strong proponent of wind and solar. But he also believes natural gas drilling is being unfairly demonized. John points out that all forms of energy have their advantages and disadvantages, and this talk puts gas drilling into the wider energy context.
Energy Crisis Of The United States Essay
Energy Crisis And Climate Change: Fracking
Energy Crisis in Pakistan
Questions On The Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis : Individual Research Briefing
Solving The Global Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis Essay
Energy Crisis
The Energy Crisis Of Oil Essay
Essay on Solar Energy and the Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis And The Uk
Essay on Energy Crisis
The Energy Crisis Of 1979
Energy Crisis in Pakistan
Researh Paper- Energy Crisis
By analyzing macro-economic themes that are representative of energy and resource production and consumption, this report provides an overview of the near-term themes in cleantech as we see it.
John Upton has a great article on Grist.org around his take on the top 2013 environment stories. I thought I'd take the article and convert it into a presentation. He listed out 13 stories. Over the last few days, I converted each one into a few slides.
Here is the full presentation covering all 13 stories:
John Hanger Webinar: The Truth About Gas Drilling and America's Energy ChoicesMarcellus Drilling News
PowerPoint slides John Hanger, former Sec. of the PA DEP used to present a webinar for Marcellus Drilling News (http://marcellusdrilling.com) on July 12, 2012 titled: The Truth About Gas Drilling and America's Energy Choices. John is a strong proponent of wind and solar. But he also believes natural gas drilling is being unfairly demonized. John points out that all forms of energy have their advantages and disadvantages, and this talk puts gas drilling into the wider energy context.
Energy Crisis Of The United States Essay
Energy Crisis And Climate Change: Fracking
Energy Crisis in Pakistan
Questions On The Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis : Individual Research Briefing
Solving The Global Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis Essay
Energy Crisis
The Energy Crisis Of Oil Essay
Essay on Solar Energy and the Energy Crisis
Energy Crisis And The Uk
Essay on Energy Crisis
The Energy Crisis Of 1979
Energy Crisis in Pakistan
Researh Paper- Energy Crisis
An ever growing population means an ever growing requirement for energy. Nowadays, enormity of energy cannot be denied. It
is essential in every walk of life. Energy sources can be broadly classified as renewable and non renewable. Knowing the
dreadful fact that nonrenewable sources will eventually deplete, the importance of renewable sources cannot be underestimated.
The most important aspect while utilizing them is their impact on the environment. This paper briefly presents the importance
of renewable sources of energy owing to the backdrop of fossil fuel dilemma. Major emphasis is placed on the use of alternative
energy technologies. Some applications of renewable sources and future of energy is also discussed
The Long Emergencyby James Howard Kunstler, originally published.docxoreo10
The Long Emergency
by James Howard Kunstler, originally published by Rolling Stone Magazine | Mar 24, 2005
A few weeks ago, the price of oil ratcheted above fifty-five dollars a barrel, which is about twenty dollars a barrel more than a year ago. The next day, the oil story was buried on page six of the New York Times business section. Apparently, the price of oil is not considered significant news, even when it goes up five bucks a barrel in the span of ten days. That same day, the stock market shot up more than a hundred points because, CNN said, government data showed no signs of inflation. Note to clueless nation: Call planet Earth.
Carl Jung, one of the fathers of psychology, famously remarked that "people cannot stand too much reality." What you're about to read may challenge your assumptions about the kind of world we live in, and especially the kind of world into which events are propelling us. We are in for a rough ride through uncharted territory.
It has been very hard for Americans -- lost in dark raptures of nonstop infotainment, recreational shopping and compulsive motoring -- to make sense of the gathering forces that will fundamentally alter the terms of everyday life in our technological society. Even after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America is still sleepwalking into the future. I call this coming time the Long Emergency.
Most immediately we face the end of the cheap-fossil-fuel era. It is no exaggeration to state that reliable supplies of cheap oil and natural gas underlie everything we identify as the necessities of modern life -- not to mention all of its comforts and luxuries: central heating, air conditioning, cars, airplanes, electric lights, inexpensive clothing, recorded music, movies, hip-replacement surgery, national defense -- you name it.
The few Americans who are even aware that there is a gathering global-energy predicament usually misunderstand the core of the argument. That argument states that we don't have to run out of oil to start having severe problems with industrial civilization and its dependent systems. We only have to slip over the all-time production peak and begin a slide down the arc of steady depletion.
The term "global oil-production peak" means that a turning point will come when the world produces the most oil it will ever produce in a given year and, after that, yearly production will inexorably decline. It is usually represented graphically in a bell curve. The peak is the top of the curve, the halfway point of the world's all-time total endowment, meaning half the world's oil will be left. That seems like a lot of oil, and it is, but there's a big catch: It's the half that is much more difficult to extract, far more costly to get, of much poorer quality and located mostly in places where the people hate us. A substantial amount of it will never be extracted.
The United States passed its own oil peak -- about 11 million barrels a day -- in 1970, and since then production has dropped st ...
62707 1041 AMEnergyBulletin.net The Long EmergencyPa.docxevonnehoggarth79783
6/27/07 10:41 AMEnergyBulletin.net :: The Long Emergency
Page 1 of 5http://www.energybulletin.net/print.php?id=4856
Published on Thursday, March 24, 2005 by Rolling Stone Magazine
The Long Emergency
By James Howard Kunstler
A few weeks ago, the price of oil ratcheted above fifty-five dollars a barrel, which is about twenty dollars a barrel more
than a year ago. The next day, the oil story was buried on page six of the New York Times business section.
Apparently, the price of oil is not considered significant news, even when it goes up five bucks a barrel in the span of
ten days. That same day, the stock market shot up more than a hundred points because, CNN said, government data
showed no signs of inflation. Note to clueless nation: Call planet Earth.
Carl Jung, one of the fathers of psychology, famously remarked that "people cannot stand too much reality." What
you're about to read may challenge your assumptions about the kind of world we live in, and especially the kind of
world into which events are propelling us. We are in for a rough ride through uncharted territory.
It has been very hard for Americans -- lost in dark raptures of nonstop infotainment, recreational shopping and
compulsive motoring -- to make sense of the gathering forces that will fundamentally alter the terms of everyday life in
our technological society. Even after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America is still sleepwalking into the future. I call this
coming time the Long Emergency.
Most immediately we face the end of the cheap-fossil-fuel era. It is no exaggeration to state that reliable supplies of
cheap oil and natural gas underlie everything we identify as the necessities of modern life -- not to mention all of its
comforts and luxuries: central heating, air conditioning, cars, airplanes, electric lights, inexpensive clothing, recorded
music, movies, hip-replacement surgery, national defense -- you name it.
The few Americans who are even aware that there is a gathering global-energy predicament usually misunderstand the
core of the argument. That argument states that we don't have to run out of oil to start having severe problems with
industrial civilization and its dependent systems. We only have to slip over the all-time production peak and begin a
slide down the arc of steady depletion.
The term "global oil-production peak" means that a turning point will come when the world produces the most oil it will
ever produce in a given year and, after that, yearly production will inexorably decline. It is usually represented
graphically in a bell curve. The peak is the top of the curve, the halfway point of the world's all-time total endowment,
meaning half the world's oil will be left. That seems like a lot of oil, and it is, but there's a big catch: It's the half that is
much more difficult to extract, far more costly to get, of much poorer quality and located mostly in places where the
people hate us. A substantial amount of it will never be extracted.
Th.
Environmental Disasters -- Human FailuresOn March 28, 1979, as t.docxSALU18
Environmental Disasters -- Human Failures
On March 28, 1979, as the sun rose over Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a series of mechanical, electrical, and human failures led to what has been described as the worst nuclear power plant accident in the history of the United States. News of the accident rocked the nation, and its effects were keenly felt by those who lived in the shadow of the great concrete towers of Three Mile Island.
According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the accident
"permanently changed both the nuclear industry and the NRC. Public fear and distrust increased, NRC's regulations and oversight became broader and more robust, and management of the plants was scrutinized more carefully. Careful analysis of the accident's events identified problems and led to permanent and sweeping changes in how NRC regulates its licensees - which, in turn, has reduced the risk to public health and safety."
Bhopal in Central India in 1984
One of the worst industrial accidents occurred in Bhopal in central India, capital of Madhya Pradesh State. In December 1984 deadly methyl isocyanate gas was leaked from a chemical plant in Bhopal, causing the deaths of at least 3300 people; it was the worst industrial accident in world history!
In 1989, after years of litigation, the United States owners of the plant agreed to pay the Indian government $470 million. In return, the government agreed to drop criminal charges against the company and its former chairman.
Chernobyl in 1986
The first nuclear disaster happened in Chernobyl in 1986. This was the year when the world first experienced the terror of a collective international nightmare - the explosion at the then Soviet Union's Chernobyl nuclear reactor on April 26, 1986. The disaster left 2,500 dead and millions affected. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced -- many of whom have still not been able to return to their homes.
Larry West, an environmental investigative reporter wrote about the accident:
"Seventy percent of the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl landed in Belarus, affecting more than 3,600 towns and villages, and 2.5 million people. The radiation contaminated soil, which in turn contaminates crops that people rely on for food. Many regions in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are likely to be contaminated for decades. Radioactive fallout carried by the wind was later found in sheep in the UK, on clothing worn by people throughout Europe, and in rain in the United States."
Chernobyl remains the largest civil nuclear disaster to date. There are currently more than 400 commercial nuclear power reactors operating world-wide.
Environmentalism and Technologies Investment
Rachel Carson is one of the most influential women in the history of the environmental movement in the United States. The publication of her best-selling book, Silent Spring, marked the beginning of America environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s. A marine biologist by training, Carson discusses har ...
Lecture 5
Continuing Fossil Fuels & Renewable Resources
May 4, 2016
Oil
Like coal, most of the oil on Earth was formed millions of years ago
Certain warm shallow seas, such as the Gulf of Mexico and Tethys Sea were so ideal for life that organic material was formed faster than it could decompose
Large masses of organic material became buried at the sea bottom, were heated and pressurized, forming oil.
The present day distribution of oil lines up with these ancient shallow seas
Majority of oil reserves are in Middle Eastern countries
In elemental composition, oil is similar to coal
Mostly carbon, but also hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur
As a liquid, oil can be distilled (separated) into other fuels such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel
Oil Extraction
As a liquid, oil can be pumped directly out of the ground. This eliminates the need for mining.
A long drill is used to bore deep into the Earth to reach the deposit.
The hole is lined with a steel pipe and cement.
The top is outfitted with a collection of pipes and valves
The ease of transporting oil has enabled drilling at very remote locations
At its peak, Alaska accounted for about 25% of the U.S. oil production
It is transported to the southern ports of the state through the Alaska Oil Pipeline.
As a liquid, oil can also escape more easily, forming an oil spill
Oil spills are devastating to marine life
Penetrates through the fur and feathers of animals, reducing their ability to fly, float, and insulate themselves
Benthic organisms, living at the bottom of the sea, can be suffocated
Entire populations of krill and plankton can be wiped out
Oil Reserves
Of the fossil fuels, oil has been the most quickly depleted
Peak oil is defined as the point at which all known oil reserves have been tapped and production will begin declining in the following years.
The U.S. reached its peak production in the 1970s
The estimated date of worldwide peak oil is unknown
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is comprised of 13 countries.
Members: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
In 2010, OPEC holds about 77% of the entire world’s crude oil reserves.
The U.S. has only about 2% of the world’s proven oil reserves. China has 1.1% and India has 0.4%. Japan as none
It will be necessary to find alternatives to or other sources of crude oil to sustain the today’s usage.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is actually a mixtures of gases
50-90% methane
Smaller amounts of propane and butane
As a gas, it is the most difficult fossil fuel to transport
A supply of natural gas exists above most oil wells, however, if no pipelines are nearby, it will often simply be burned off.
Natural gas has a relatively small amount of pollution produced by burning it (Only two waste products-CO2 & Water vapor)
Natural Gas Extraction
Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking-a controversial technique used ...
This article aims to demonstrate the decline of oil as the main source of energy in the world which should take place by the need to deploy globally sustainable energy system to promote the drastic reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in order to avoid catastrophic climate change overall, the failure of the oil supply to meet world demand and competition of a replacement product, the shale gas. After the twilight of oil will enter a new era with the widespread use of renewable energy sources (hydro, solar, wind, hydrogen, tidal, etc.).
CFD Simulation of By-pass Flow in a HRSG module by R&R Consult.pptxR&R Consult
CFD analysis is incredibly effective at solving mysteries and improving the performance of complex systems!
Here's a great example: At a large natural gas-fired power plant, where they use waste heat to generate steam and energy, they were puzzled that their boiler wasn't producing as much steam as expected.
R&R and Tetra Engineering Group Inc. were asked to solve the issue with reduced steam production.
An inspection had shown that a significant amount of hot flue gas was bypassing the boiler tubes, where the heat was supposed to be transferred.
R&R Consult conducted a CFD analysis, which revealed that 6.3% of the flue gas was bypassing the boiler tubes without transferring heat. The analysis also showed that the flue gas was instead being directed along the sides of the boiler and between the modules that were supposed to capture the heat. This was the cause of the reduced performance.
Based on our results, Tetra Engineering installed covering plates to reduce the bypass flow. This improved the boiler's performance and increased electricity production.
It is always satisfying when we can help solve complex challenges like this. Do your systems also need a check-up or optimization? Give us a call!
Work done in cooperation with James Malloy and David Moelling from Tetra Engineering.
More examples of our work https://www.r-r-consult.dk/en/cases-en/
Sachpazis:Terzaghi Bearing Capacity Estimation in simple terms with Calculati...Dr.Costas Sachpazis
Terzaghi's soil bearing capacity theory, developed by Karl Terzaghi, is a fundamental principle in geotechnical engineering used to determine the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. This theory provides a method to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of soil, which is the maximum load per unit area that the soil can support without undergoing shear failure. The Calculation HTML Code included.
Hierarchical Digital Twin of a Naval Power SystemKerry Sado
A hierarchical digital twin of a Naval DC power system has been developed and experimentally verified. Similar to other state-of-the-art digital twins, this technology creates a digital replica of the physical system executed in real-time or faster, which can modify hardware controls. However, its advantage stems from distributing computational efforts by utilizing a hierarchical structure composed of lower-level digital twin blocks and a higher-level system digital twin. Each digital twin block is associated with a physical subsystem of the hardware and communicates with a singular system digital twin, which creates a system-level response. By extracting information from each level of the hierarchy, power system controls of the hardware were reconfigured autonomously. This hierarchical digital twin development offers several advantages over other digital twins, particularly in the field of naval power systems. The hierarchical structure allows for greater computational efficiency and scalability while the ability to autonomously reconfigure hardware controls offers increased flexibility and responsiveness. The hierarchical decomposition and models utilized were well aligned with the physical twin, as indicated by the maximum deviations between the developed digital twin hierarchy and the hardware.
Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two type of water scarcity. One is physical. The other is economic water scarcity.
Welcome to WIPAC Monthly the magazine brought to you by the LinkedIn Group Water Industry Process Automation & Control.
In this month's edition, along with this month's industry news to celebrate the 13 years since the group was created we have articles including
A case study of the used of Advanced Process Control at the Wastewater Treatment works at Lleida in Spain
A look back on an article on smart wastewater networks in order to see how the industry has measured up in the interim around the adoption of Digital Transformation in the Water Industry.
Immunizing Image Classifiers Against Localized Adversary Attacksgerogepatton
This paper addresses the vulnerability of deep learning models, particularly convolutional neural networks
(CNN)s, to adversarial attacks and presents a proactive training technique designed to counter them. We
introduce a novel volumization algorithm, which transforms 2D images into 3D volumetric representations.
When combined with 3D convolution and deep curriculum learning optimization (CLO), itsignificantly improves
the immunity of models against localized universal attacks by up to 40%. We evaluate our proposed approach
using contemporary CNN architectures and the modified Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR-10
and CIFAR-100) and ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge (ILSVRC12) datasets, showcasing
accuracy improvements over previous techniques. The results indicate that the combination of the volumetric
input and curriculum learning holds significant promise for mitigating adversarial attacks without necessitating
adversary training.
Saudi Arabia stands as a titan in the global energy landscape, renowned for its abundant oil and gas resources. It's the largest exporter of petroleum and holds some of the world's most significant reserves. Let's delve into the top 10 oil and gas projects shaping Saudi Arabia's energy future in 2024.
About
Indigenized remote control interface card suitable for MAFI system CCR equipment. Compatible for IDM8000 CCR. Backplane mounted serial and TCP/Ethernet communication module for CCR remote access. IDM 8000 CCR remote control on serial and TCP protocol.
• Remote control: Parallel or serial interface.
• Compatible with MAFI CCR system.
• Compatible with IDM8000 CCR.
• Compatible with Backplane mount serial communication.
• Compatible with commercial and Defence aviation CCR system.
• Remote control system for accessing CCR and allied system over serial or TCP.
• Indigenized local Support/presence in India.
• Easy in configuration using DIP switches.
Technical Specifications
Indigenized remote control interface card suitable for MAFI system CCR equipment. Compatible for IDM8000 CCR. Backplane mounted serial and TCP/Ethernet communication module for CCR remote access. IDM 8000 CCR remote control on serial and TCP protocol.
Key Features
Indigenized remote control interface card suitable for MAFI system CCR equipment. Compatible for IDM8000 CCR. Backplane mounted serial and TCP/Ethernet communication module for CCR remote access. IDM 8000 CCR remote control on serial and TCP protocol.
• Remote control: Parallel or serial interface
• Compatible with MAFI CCR system
• Copatiable with IDM8000 CCR
• Compatible with Backplane mount serial communication.
• Compatible with commercial and Defence aviation CCR system.
• Remote control system for accessing CCR and allied system over serial or TCP.
• Indigenized local Support/presence in India.
Application
• Remote control: Parallel or serial interface.
• Compatible with MAFI CCR system.
• Compatible with IDM8000 CCR.
• Compatible with Backplane mount serial communication.
• Compatible with commercial and Defence aviation CCR system.
• Remote control system for accessing CCR and allied system over serial or TCP.
• Indigenized local Support/presence in India.
• Easy in configuration using DIP switches.
1. UNIT – I
ENERGY CRISIS IN WORLD AND POSITION IN INDIA
Energy prices have increased greatly during the past year--maybe the crisis has
started already. Major oil companies have placed prominent ads explaining the situation.
To pick only one of many possible examples, the November 2005 Chevron ad states
"One thing is clear: the era of easy oil is over." The April 2006 ad states "Russia, Iran and
Qatar have 58% of the world's natural gas reserves. The U.S. has 3%."
People in the modern world depend on the availability of economical and
abundant energy. The United States is especially vulnerable to an energy shortage
because we use so much and because North America has only a small fraction of the
world's oil and natural gas. Most of the world's oil and natural gas are found near the
Persian Gulf, on the other side of the Earth.
Everyone realizes that oil and gas are finite resources which will become scarce
and expensive some day. There will be a transition to sustainable energy sources. The
only question is when and how--and how orderly.
The new era of expensive energy will be very difficult for everyone on the planet
but it will be even more difficult if it is not anticipated. It is of utmost importance that the
public and especially policymakers understand the coming world energy crisis and the
underlying science
Two hundred years ago, the world experienced an energy revolution that launched
the Industrial Age. The catalyst to this epochal shift was ordinary black coal, an energy-
rich hydrocarbon that supplanted wood as the primary fuel. The energy stored in coal
gave inventors and industrialists the power they needed to process steel, propel
steamships, and energize machines. A century later, the industrialized world's thirst for
energy had increased tremendously. Petroleum and natural gas were exploited as versatile
and high quality energy products, and soon joined coal as principal fuels. Fifty years
later, scientists tapped uranium to fuel nuclear reactors and provide atomic energy.
2. Today, cheap energy is the lifeblood of American society. But there is a
dangerous dark side to relying on non-renewable resources like coal, oil, natural gas, or
uranium to supply our growing energy demands. The supply of these fuels is physically
limited, and their use threatens our health and environment. Fears of global warming
aside, burning fossil fuel releases chemicals and particulates that can cause cancer, brain
and nerve damage, birth defects, lung injury, and breathing problems. The toxic stew
released by combusting hydrocarbons pollutes the air and water, and causes acid rain and
smog. Nuclear energy, once touted as "too cheap to meter," has never been economically
successful when all costs are factored in, and fear of disasters like the Chernobyl reactor
melt-down have virtually shut the industry down in the U.S. and Europe. Inexpensive and
seemingly abundant nonrenewable energy fueled the twentieth century economy, but
geologists, climatologists, environmentalists, and many others are warning that the
honeymoon may soon be over.
Coal is the most abundant of the carbon-based fossil fuels, but it is also a leading
threat to human health and the environment. Coal currently provides 24% of the world's
primary energy requirements and, in 1999, generated 57% of all the electricity used in the
U.S. Existing coal reserves may be large, but they won't last forever, and health and
environmental costs limit its potential as an acceptable fuel in the future. Burning coal
currently accounts for 43% of all annual global carbon emissions, about 2.7 billion tons.
The top ten most air-polluted cities in the world—nine in China, one in India—all
use coal as a primary energy source. Atmospheric scientists have tracked large dust
clouds of particulates and sulfur from Asia to the United States' west coast. In the U.S.,
coal reserves surpass those of oil and natural gas by about two hundred years and can be
mined domestically, but using coal simply because there is plenty of it would be a serious
mistake. Air pollution, acid rain, greenhouse gas emissions, and other health dangers
associated with processing coal into electricity take their toll on countless people around
the world. Western governments rarely discuss "coal" and the "future" in the same
sentence anymore, but burning coal has become a global problem that respects no
international boundaries.
3. Cheap and abundant oil is an intoxicating elixir that the world's industrial nations
have guzzled down as if there is no tomorrow. Petroleum currently accounts for 40% of
the world's energy, but many geologists anticipate an oil supply crisis sometime within
the next two decades when global demand will exceed supply. While some argue that
huge deposits of oil may lie undetected in far-off locations of the globe, experts point out
that there is only so much crude in the world, and industry has found about 90% of it. The
world's burgeoning population is dependent on food grown with petroleum-based
fertilizers, cultivated by machines running on cheap fuel.
In 1950, the U.S. was producing half the world's oil. Fifty years later, we don't
produce half our own oil. Domestic production peaked in 1970. Originally, America was
blessed with about 260 billion barrels; only one country, Saudi Arabia, had more.
Although the U.S. is now the world's third largest producer, about 65% of our known oil
has been burned. It's downhill from here. The U.S. has 4% of the world's people but
slurps down 25% of the world's oil. If the Chinese annually consumed oil at the same per
capita rate as Americans, there would be none available for anyone else.
Natural gas (methane) is being touted by energy providers as an abundant clean
fuel for the twenty-first century. It is forecast to be the fastest growing primary energy
source, because it burns cleaner than coal or oil. But this resource is also nonrenewable,
and the Department of Energy states that the U.S. has only 3.5% of the world's total
natural gas reserves-enough to last about sixty-five years. More than 70% of the world's
proven natural gas reserves are located in the politically risky Persian Gulf and former
Soviet Union. After 2020, the bulk of the world's remaining supplies of both oil and
natural gas will be centered there.
According to the Energy Information Administration, natural gas provides 27% of
the energy used today. Similar to their consumption of oil, Americans consume more
than their share of natural gas; in 1997, the U.S. used 28% of the world's total production.
Consumption in the U.S. and Canada is expected to grow 50% by 2020, enforced in part
by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, which are designed to curb acid rain, toxic
emissions, and urban air pollution. Compared to the combustion of oil and coal, natural
4. gas combustion is relatively benign as a contributor to air pollution. American troops
have already shed blood in the Middle East protecting our oil interests; relying on natural
gas for a primary energy source has similar costs and risks.
Nuclear energy presents similar problems to those associated with non-renewable
fossil fuels. The planet's supply of uranium is limited, and mining the ore is hazardous to
human health. Worse, the radioactive waste byproducts are a lethal long-term danger to
the environment. In 1999, nuclear energy provided about 17% of the world's electricity,
but splitting the atom to boil water is like using a chainsaw to cut butter. The health and
environmental costs of using atomic energy have become serious obstacles to the
industry. Disposal of radioactive waste has proven to be a much greater problem than
originally estimated. Nuclear power does not contribute to air pollution and greenhouse
gas emissions, but a good solution to safely storing tons and tons of radioactive waste, a
nuclear byproduct that remains dangerous to all life-forms for thousands of years,
remains elusive.
In the 1950s and 1960s, atomic energy was hailed as an unlimited panacea to the
pollution problems generated by fossil fuels, and destined to be so cheap that electric
companies wouldn't even put meters on houses. Today, there is little support among
Americans and Europeans for fission nuclear energy. Nobody wants a nuclear reactor in
their backyard, and frightening publicity regarding reactor meltdowns at Chernobyl and
Three Mile Island has only reinforced these fears. Health officials estimate that at least
4,365 people who took part in the Chernobyl cleanup have died in the Ukraine. [Editor's
note: These high figures are disputed by some experts.-EFM] The risk from nuclear
power plants and nuclear-waste disposal sites demands a vigilance and longevity of our
social institutions that is unprecedented.
Coal, natural gas, and uranium are alternative non-renewable energy resources to
cheap oil, but each has advantages and limitations, and none is as versatile as petroleum.
The replacement of oil will require a mix of energy sources, including clean renewable
energy such as solar and wind power. This adjustment will involve substantial
5. reorganization of the world's economic structure and significant lifestyle changes in the
industrialized countries.
Economists like to point out that the world contains enormous caches of
unconventional oil that can substitute for crude oil as soon as the price becomes
competitive. It is true that resources of heavy oil, tar sands, and shale deposits exist in
large quantities. But the industry will be hard-pressed for the time and money needed to
ramp up production of unconventional oil quickly enough to forestall an economic crisis.
Experts who point out the approaching end of Hydrocarbon Man are not pessimists or
alarmists; they are simply saying now is the time to plan, lest the end of cheap fossil fuels
be an unprecedented disaster in human history.
Renewable energy will play a major role in the energy industry of the twenty-first
century and beyond. British Petroleum, Royal Dutch/Shell, and other companies are
investing heavily in renewable sources of energy. Industry experts realize that these
alternative energy systems not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they
predict that over the next half century, renewables may grow to supply half the world's
energy. Successfully generating electricity by harnessing the perpetual power of the Sun
and wind is not only technologically feasible, it is already a reality. Solar power relies on
the energy produced by nuclear fusion in the Sun. This energy can be collected and
converted in different ways, such as simple water heating for domestic use or by the
direct conversion of sunlight to electrical energy using mirrors, boilers, or photovoltaic
cells. The technology is improving and the economics are getting more competitive.
Photovoltaic panels don't generate electricity at night, but they can be used to produce
hydrogen in the daytime, which can then be stored.
Scientists and engineers are continually improving the efficiency of renewable
energy systems. Humans have been harnessing the wind for thousands of years, and are
now cleanly producing electricity with it. Air flowing through turbines or spinning blades
generates power that can be used to pump water or generate electricity. Wind energy is
now the world's fastest growing energy source and has become one of the most rapidly
expanding industries.
6. Wind power has some drawbacks; a "wind farm" requires extensive areal
coverage to produce significant amounts of energy, and bird fatalities have been a
concern. The wind industry is modifying equipment to address this issue but also points
out that countless wild creatures are killed every year as part of the acquisition and
distribution of conventional energy sources.
Hydroelectric power is another source of renewable energy. Hydroelectric dams,
however, are no longer considered environmentally benign sources of power. Fisheries
and other wildlife habitat have been severely impacted on many dammed rivers. Most of
the world's hydroelectric dams are historically recent, but all reservoirs eventually fill up
and require very expensive excavation to become useful again. At this time, most of the
available locations for hydroelectric dams in the U.S. are already developed.
Humans have been burning biomass materials since the dawn of time, and it is
still the principal fuel used in many parts of the world. Incredibly, just 120 years ago,
wood was the chief energy source in the U.S. But today's economy runs on oil, and
despite significant government support, converting wood to alcohol, or corn to ethanol
has proven neither economical nor energy efficient. Researchers have recently discovered
how to produce clean combustible gas from waste products such as sewage and crop
residue, but biomass gas will not soon replace petroleum as the fuel of choice.
Hydrogen has been touted as the fuel of the future. It is the most abundant
element known in the universe and can be burned cleanly as a fuel for vehicles with water
as the main combustion byproduct. Hydrogen can also be fed into a fuel cell, a battery-
like device that generates heat and electricity. Using hydrogen instead of gasoline or
diesel will significantly reduce the health hazards and medical costs associated with the
exhaust from conventional internal combustion engines. But the large-scale extraction of
hydrogen from terrestrial resources such as water, coal, or natural gas requires a lot of
energy, which is currently produced by burning fossil fuels. Commercial hydrogen
production is expensive and only shifts the pollution from vehicles back to the power
plants. Producing hydrogen with solar power is the dream of environmentalists and
7. renewable energy proponents. If done successfully, hydrogen and electricity will
eventually become society's primary energy carriers in the twenty-first century.
Geothermal energy left over from the original accretion radioactive decay seeps
out slowly everywhere, everyday. In certain areas, the geothermal gradient (increase in
temperature with depth) is high enough to exploit for the generation of electricity.
Another form of geothermal energy can be tapped from the planet's surface. Soil
maintains a relatively constant temperature throughout the year and can be used with heat
pumps to warm a building in winter or cool a dwelling in summer. This form of energy
can lessen the need for other power to maintain comfortable temperatures in buildings,
but it cannot be used to produce electricity.
Tides, waves, and the heat differential within the world's tropical oceans are
potent sources of clean energy. Various countries around the world are investing time and
money into the technologies that may tap these renewable power producers, but
overcoming the obstacles inherent in these systems will be difficult. The media and
industry claim that renewable energies are not yet economically competitive with fossil
fuels. Perhaps not, but when one considers the health and environmental costs associated
with burning coal and oil, the price of renewable energy becomes more attractive. No
renewable energy system will single-handedly replace oil, but together they will become
a very important part of the energy mix of the future. Traditional renewable systems are a
logical step in the transition to advanced alternative energy sources such as cold fusion.
Although scientists and engineers are working feverishly to overcome the various
obstacles associated with "new energy" technologies, society should not stand by quietly
while researchers wait for a breakthrough. Burning petroleum is polluting our air and
water, and the bulk of the world's reserves of cheap oil are concentrated in the politically
volatile Persian Gulf. Getting that oil will likely cost billions of dollars and possibly the
lives of American soldiers.
Every year American's consume 25% of all the energy produced in the world, but
that conspicuous consumption can't last forever. To that end, the U.S. Department of
Energy established the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) as part of an
8. integrated strategy in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This act promotes increases in the
generation and utilization of electricity from renewable energy sources and furthers the
advances of renewable energy technologies. In 1996, the Renewable Energy Policy
Project released "The Environmental Imperative," a plan for the energy market to draw
on renewable energy to avoid the severe environmental impacts of the fossil fuel cycle.
This plan outlines the environmental imperative for accelerating the use of renewable
resources. It is important to realize that it usually takes thirty to forty years to
significantly shift fuel patterns and that using electricity as an alternative to oil will
require a major adjustment by the American public. The window of opportunity to make
this energy transition without a major economic disruption will not be open for long.
India faces major energy crisis due to Crude oil refining capacity and
compliance to environmental clean up standards
India faces more problems that just need for reliable energy supply. Even if the
Government is able to acquire rights to Natural gas and Crude oil supplies all around
the world, the problem does not end there. India faces a major shortage of refining
capacity. As a result prices of diesel, Petrol and Kerosene can go through the roof
even if the Crude oil price moves up slowly. The refineries all around India are old
and mainly acquired from the Soviet Union many tears back. They need to be replaced
soon. They operate at a much lower capacity die to maintenance needs and cause bad
pollution all around.
The refinery owned and operated by Reliance is the only one in the country
that is of world class standard and is sophisticated. It was operational approximately
22 months back and is based on most advanced technologies in the world. The rest of
the 18 refineries are in hopeless condition. Some of those India’s refineries cannot get
rid of the high sulphur content to produce what is internationally known as sweet
crude. Many of the refineries cannot effectively extract Kerosene through the
secondary process, Kerosene is high demand since it lights up many homes in India.
9. Seven of these prehistoric 18 refineries can be modernized. But red tape and lack of
operational control is taking the country to the brink of a major energy crisis.
Raghunath Mashelkar, scientific adviser to the government recently submitted a report
on the status of the refineries to the Government. Inadia’s 115m-tonne refining
capacity needs some major capital investment, The report clearly mentions about the
need of “substantial capital funding” to upgrade or overhaul processes to meet global
standards on quality petrol and diesel fuels.
India needs US $6.5 Billion to upgrade these refineries to meet the Euro IV standard
of emission by 2010. Stepping up to Euro III emission standards will also require
hardship as required by next April.
According to the New Delhi-based Energy and Resources Institute (Teri),
fiscal incentives are required from the Government to move forward towards this
capital investment.