Title:
Kicking Our CO2 Addiction: Difficult but doable; dither or deploy
Abstract:
Atmospheric greenhouse gas build-up threatens the future of civilization. The damaging effects of a growing build-up of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the geosphere are complex but unarguably bad. The twin disruptions of climate disruption and ocean acidification must be curbed. So far, efforts to address the problem have been woefully short on effective action though long on volubility and distractions. Meanwhile, time to deal with the problem is slipping away.
There is no one silver bullet to fix the problem. Unfortunately, most of the bullets fired to date have either, missed the mark, failed to penetrate the target, caused collateral damage or shot the messengers. While curtailing energy waste is desirable, the essential fix is massive deployment of energy sources that are minimally damaging. These sources should also be as cost-effective as possible and have low possibilities for partial or total failure.
Transportation is going to be increasingly electrified and a broad trend toward greater dependency on electricity now seems certain. But electricity is only a power currency. How will it be produced? Many forms of renewable energy and nuclear power qualify on technical effectiveness. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) may possibly qualify in future though its cost and effectiveness will not be established for another decade.
Alistair Miller looks at projections of global demand for energy and ways that this energy could be provided with acceptable side-effects and lowest possible cost.
Bio:
Take a lifelong interest in climate and weather and combine this with R&D experience in heavy water-production involving both hydrogen and process modeling. In 1999, Alistair Miller presented his first paper on planet-friendly energy systems and he has since written extensively on how nuclear energy and other sustainable energy sources can be harnessed to produce the world’s energy with the minimal levels of carbon dioxide emission that are needed to stabilize greenhouse gas levels in the Earth’s atmosphere.
In 2005, Alistair moved from being an employee to a researcher emeritus with AECL. He represents Canada on the international Hydrogen Production Project Management Board, part of the Very High Temperature Reactor branch of the Generation IV International Forum. The Board exists to co ordinate R&D on new ways of producing hydrogen using nuclear and other energy sources.
Alistair has a BSc in Applied Chemistry from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London. He is a former President of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering and a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada.