Clean Energy and Recommendations to Solve the Global Energy Crisis

Clean Energy and Recommendations to Solve the Global Energy Crisis

We, as members of the global society, often discuss the energy crisis but do too little to influence political decisions for the benefit of global citizens. Energy production and its equitable distribution are no longer solely national or regional issues. They require global action and cooperation. To initiate a speedy solution, it is essential to define the problem in simple yet accurate terms.

Causes of Environmental Problems: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere acts like a glass window, trapping heat in a building in summer. Without ventilation, the building’s temperature becomes unbearable. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect.

Population Increase: Each additional person added to the world’s population increases global energy demand. Recognizing this, we must either increase resources or maintain population growth at a constant, steady level. Expanding resources (food, shelter, jobs, healthcare, entertainment, etc.) will necessitate more energy, contributing to the impending climate catastrophe.

Economic Growth vs. Degrowth: It is undeniable that the growth-driven model encourages excessive consumption of goods and services beyond what is necessary for a comfortable life. The pursuit of greater product sales has led to accelerated production of industrial goods (e.g., steel, concrete, chemicals, food, and end-user delivery). This rapid production, in turn, requires higher processing temperatures and high-speed mechanical work, leading to wasteful energy and material use—a primary driver of today’s environmental crises. An alternative to this is “degrowth,” which, though it carries a negative connotation, aims to balance essential goods and services for a decent life. “Green growth” offers another alternative, emphasizing that natural assets must continue to provide the resources and environmental services essential for human well-being.

“Near-zero Waste” Growth Model (My Proposal): Instead of focusing on growth, we should base our production and delivery policies on achieving “near-zero waste” (NZW). By doing so, we can significantly reduce energy consumption and positively impact the environment. Implementing the “near-zero waste” production method poses substantial technical challenges, including low-temperature metallurgy, frictionless mechanical systems, durable and high-strength materials, efficient water and chemical usage, food recycling and preservation, local resource utilization, and consumption, preventive healthcare, in-house diagnostics of malfunctions and remote repair, heat isolation, rapid reforestation, comfortable and point-to-point mass transportation, improved virtual tourism (as augmented reality), and more. These changes can accelerate the economy, reduce unemployment, and, in turn, save energy.

Potential Remedies for the Global Energy Crisis

Limiting Global Population: Similar to targeting a 1.5°C total increase in global temperature above pre-industrial levels, we must set a target for the global population. Currently, the world population is around 8 billion. According to the European Commission, without precautions, the global population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2060, which will place an enormous burden on energy needs. I propose that new measures should be immediately adopted to reduce the global population to 6 billion people by 2060. The reduction of the global population should not stop there; it should continue even after 2060, with measures such as reducing it by 1 billion every 20 years until it reaches 4 billion. Globally accepted policies to achieve this goal could include education for population control (voluntary birth control), legal restrictions on inheritance to children (compensated by improving social security for the elderly), and possibly legalizing euthanasia for individuals aged 90 or older who do not necessarily suffer from incurable pain or suffering.

Increasing Forested Area: Plants absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and release oxygen, making it crucial to expand forested areas worldwide to replace CO₂ with oxygen. Developing technologies for floating forests and islandslocated in oceans could create significant sources of reforestation. Currently, CO₂ levels in the atmosphere are around 0.05%. If we can convert half of it to oxygen through photosynthesis, it would be more than enough to mitigate the greenhouse effect. The increasing global population, as mentioned earlier, directly and indirectly contributes to CO₂emissions and leads to a significant reduction in forested areas as land is converted for farming and housing. This underscores the positive impact that reducing the population can have on decreasing CO₂ levels.

Limiting Energy Consumption to Reduce CO₂ Emissions: Historically, the primary energy source for human use has been heat, especially after the industrial revolution. Heat was mainly generated by burning carbon-containing fuels throughout history. Even as electricity became more prevalent for powering machines and heating, it did not reduce CO₂ emissions significantly, as fossil fuels were the primary source for electricity generation. Given these facts, it is reasonable to question whether governments should reduce or limit energy consumption. One answer is NO, as it could disproportionately affect the quality of life, widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor and potentially causing social unrest. The other answer is YES, as it could encourage businesses to innovate and produce items with a smaller carbon footprint. Therefore, the best approach may involve reducing or limiting energy production while encouraging businesses to focus on revolutionary new technologies for energy-efficient products and production methods. Contemporary technology offers numerous solutions for achieving these goals, although current policies have not yielded the desired results due to political pressure from big businesses reluctant to compromise their high-profit margins for the sake of the environment.

Nuclear Energy for Reducing CO₂ Emissions: Nuclear energy comes in two forms: fusion and fission. Fusion, while promising, faces significant technical challenges and uncertainties about when it will become operational. On the other hand, fission has been generating heat and electricity without CO₂ emissions since 1950’s. It serves as a viable alternative to hydrocarbon burning to meet today’s energy needs. However, it produces nuclear waste that must be securely managed for over 20,000 years, posing a long-term challenge. Nonetheless, the nuclear waste problem is more manageable than combating CO₂ emissions. The potential dangers lie in accidents in fission-type nuclear reactors, which must be minimized for them to be environmentally safe. Advanced building technologies, powerful simulation software, detailed process simulations, and advanced control systems have made it possible to design and build safer nuclear reactors. Additionally, artificial intelligence may reduce the need for human intervention, further enhancing safety. To transition from hydrocarbon energy to nuclear, considering that about 70% of global energy comes from hydrocarbons, we need to replace approximately 70% of 17 terawatt hours (TWh) with non-hydrocarbon sources, which amounts to nearly 12 TWh of clean energy. If 80% of this comes from nuclear reactors, it equates to 9.6 TWh. Currently, the global nuclear capacity is around 2.7 TWh. So, we would need approximately 7 TWh more. To achieve this, we would require approximately 700 10-GWh nuclear reactors distributed worldwide. Building these reactors, starting at a rate of 100 per year, would take approximately 17 years, effectively mitigating climate change.

All the proposals listed above (but not limited to them) can be achieved to give humanity another chance to survive on Earth. The greatest obstacle to their achievement is human psychology and greed. No single nation or society should tackle this challenge alone. The question is no longer “What can I do?” but rather “We must do it.” Each one of us, as individuals, should demand true international collaboration from our governments, democratic or otherwise, without any delay. Remember that our national interest is only possible when aligned with our global interest, especially when it comes to the environment.

Baybars Oral

PhD in Solid State Sci. & Technol.