Setting the scene...

Energy. Let’s put it simply, I wouldn’t be typing away on my laptop without it.

Discussions on energy have gained traction in recent decades, especially in light of anthropogenic climate change and energy security issues. Human addiction to fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas), presents a problem in terms of the extra greenhouse gas emissions that are being dumped into the atmosphere. 

Anthropogenic climate change is a serious concern for the 21^st century. The 5^thassessment report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia”. The report also went on to suggest that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years (IPCC, 2014).

The report’s crucial finding that carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions (IPCC, 2014) is sending shock-waves across universities, governments and the public domain. Mounting evidence from climate change science clearly highlights the severity of 21^st century anthropogenic climate change.

This is not the end of the story. PETROLEUM. PETROLEUM. PETROLEUM. The world is hooked on the stuff. We seriously cannot enough of it! There are slight variations to the estimates of remaining fossil fuel reserves; however there is an overall consensus that current reserves will not be able to meet future energy demand.
Did you know that the current global crude oil reserves are only available for the next 50 years or so (Rudolf, 2011)?
You think that’s bad? Coal and natural gas reserves are also reaching their full capacity levels too (BP, 2013)!

So what next?

Source: BP (2013) Statistical Review of World Energy 2013 Main Indicators