Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4
4
Carbon-Free Energy - Vision
or Utopia?
Most of us who have calculated our personal carbon footprint have made the sober-
ing discovery that our personal emissions are far too high. As the previous chapter
shows, savings can be made in different areas. However, in most cases the pos-
sibilities open to individuals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions still do not make
them nearly green enough. Investments in renewable energies can help to reduce
emissions somewhere else. The climate can only be saved if in the long term all
countries on earth reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero. However,
there are many among us who just cannot imagine life without oil, natural gas
and coal.
Yet a mere 300 years ago renewable energies made up the earth's entire energy
supply. It is quite certain that the world's energy supply will once again be com-
pletely carbon-free 200 years from now. By then the last deposits of fossil energy
sources will have been exhausted. As a result of an almost 500-year history of fossil
energy use, the climate would have totally collapsed by then. If we want to prevent
this happening, we must convert to carbon-free energy supplies long before then.
At most we have about 100 years in which to do this (Figure 4.1).
4.1 Options for Carbon-Free Energy Supply
4.1.1 Effi cient Power Plants - More Power with Less
Carbon Dioxide
Representatives from the electricity sector like to quote effi ciency gains in power
plants as important milestones in the effort to achieve effi cient climate protection.
