INTRODUCTION: SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF BIOMASS CONVERSION - Biomass as a Sustainable Energy Source for the Future - page 7

discovered in the (near) future, but that does not change the inherently limited supply
nature of the fossil fuel sources. Regionally, there are also significant differences,
which is important in the context of energy policy developments on the different
continents.
For the price developments of the fossil fuels, not only their forecasted availability
is of importance but also the market development in a landscape highly determined by
politics. Already well before the last resources of a fuel will have been depleted the
market will be severely stressed. For the economies in the world, fuel cost develop-
ment is therefore also a primary point of concern. From past developments, particu-
larly regarding oil, it has been shown that substantial fuel price fluctuations (volatility)
occur, which has an impact on the global economy (e.g., food prices) that is difficult to
predict. Supply and demand will determine the price evolution for each fuel source,
but the development of the market structure is also essential: there is a large difference
between a free market and an oligopoly or monopoly situation. In this respect, diver-
sification of fuel sources with associated differentiation in suppliers is advantageous
as it makes societies less prone to price manipulation by, e.g., cartel formation and
sudden disruptions of supply (Johansson et al., 1993).
Self-sufficiency concerning energy supply is often mentioned as target of countries
for (longer-term) sustainable economic development. However, not all countries have
access to resources within their territories that are sufficient for such a target; other
countries, on the other hand, have a structural surplus. Relief of trade barriers can
help mitigate this structural discrepancy. Also, in the context of economic sustaina-
bility, a good trade balance should be maintained in relation to the energy supply
within nations.
Regarding social sustainability in the context of energy supply, reduction of pov-
erty should be mentioned first; a good supply structure of energy carriers is one of the
basic requirements for such a development, next to access to clean drinking water and
good soil for agricultural activity. Associated herewith, expectedly substantial health
improvement should result from a good energy supply infrastructure. Job creation and
maintenance is another aspect of social sustainability, and certain energy supply forms
can contribute significantly to this. Also, maintaining (or improving) societies ' social

cohesion is an aspect that can be impacted by the energy supply structure.

1.1.3.2 Ecological Sustainability The energy supply structure should not
compromise the sound development of our environment both from a local and global
perspective. One of the major issues in this respect is global warming, which is for the
main part attributed to the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) from fossil fuel com-
bustion. Other issues are related to local emissions of acid rain precursors and partic-
ulate matter (PM).

Climate Change, the Greenhouse Effect, and Greenhouse Gas Emission
Reduction The greenhouse effect occurs naturally to a large extent. Without this
effect, the Earth

18 C, rather
than the current approximate +15 C. Water vapor is the largest contributor to this
effect, with a complex role for clouds, but also CO 2 in the atmosphere plays a

' s average global temperature would reach only a low −