Kyle Forinash
Abstract: World energy use is projected to increase by nearly 30% in the next 25 years. Oil currently supplies nearly 40% of the world's energy yet conventional oil has peaked and we are now using extreme methods such as hydrolic fracturing to extract oil. Although oil will continue to flow for many years after the peak in production it is clear that new energy sources will need to be found to replace dwindling oil (and other fossil fuel) reserves. Burning fossil fuels also is the main cause of climate change. This talk investigates this problem from a physical perspective, examining the possible sources and trade offs which will have to be made to insure a secure energy future for the world. The economic cost of making this transition is briefly discussed.
The talk (Power Point): Energy.ppt; En Espaņol: EnergyS.ppt.
Sources and references on Environmental Physics.
Also see my books; Foundations of Environmental Physics; Understanding Energy Use and Human Impacts, Island Press, July 2010 and Physics and the Environment, IOP Press, 2017.