Sergio Ulgiati - Böcker

Energy and environmental security are major problems facing our global economy. Fossil fuels, particularly crude oil, are confined to a few regions of the world and the continuity of supply is governed by dynamic political, economic and ecological factors. These factors conspire to force volatile, often high fuel prices while, at the same time, environmental policy is - manding a reduction in greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. Yet incr- sed growth and demand for welfare by developed and developing countries are placing higher pressure on energy resources. In particular, a large fraction of “new consumers” in developing countries already reached a purchasing power high enough as to be able to access to commodity and energy markets worldwide, thus boosting energy consumption and competition for all kinds of resources. Such a trend, although in principle may represent a progress towards diffuse welfare and wealth as well as much needed equity, is at present contributing to a rush for the appropriation of available resources which are directly and indirectly linked to energy and may contribute to planetary instability if it is not adequately understood and managed. A coherent energy strategy is required, addressing both energy supply and demand, security of access, development problems, equity, market dy- mics, by also taking into account the whole energy lifecycle including fuel production, transmission and distribution, energy conversion, and the impact on energy equipment manufacturers and the end-users of energy systems.

Energy and environmental security are major problems facing our global economy. Fossil fuels, particularly crude oil, are confined to a few regions of the world and the continuity of supply is governed by dynamic political, economic and ecological factors. These factors conspire to force volatile, often high fuel prices while, at the same time, environmental policy is - manding a reduction in greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. Yet incr- sed growth and demand for welfare by developed and developing countries are placing higher pressure on energy resources. In particular, a large fraction of “new consumers” in developing countries already reached a purchasing power high enough as to be able to access to commodity and energy markets worldwide, thus boosting energy consumption and competition for all kinds of resources. Such a trend, although in principle may represent a progress towards diffuse welfare and wealth as well as much needed equity, is at present contributing to a rush for the appropriation of available resources which are directly and indirectly linked to energy and may contribute to planetary instability if it is not adequately understood and managed. A coherent energy strategy is required, addressing both energy supply and demand, security of access, development problems, equity, market dy- mics, by also taking into account the whole energy lifecycle including fuel production, transmission and distribution, energy conversion, and the impact on energy equipment manufacturers and the end-users of energy systems.

This volume provides a systematic framework for energy suppliers, policy makers, academics, students, and all others interested in energy security, and analyzes key issues concerning energy, security and sustainability with the help of a wealth of data. While sustainability is the broadest objective, energy security is an important part of it, at the global, national and societal levels. The development of a sustainable, long-term solution to meeting the world’s energy needs is a defining issue of our time, since central global challenges that the world faces—poverty alleviation, climate change, and environmental degradation—are directly linked to energy security. The contributions cover key issues in sustainable energy and illustrate that the insecurity of a majority of countries owes to internal factors which have more to do with market forces, inefficient technologies, lack of institutions, environmental insecurity, pricing mechanisms, etc., and less to do with the international situation.The links between energy and development are both direct and indirect. Directly, energy provides several services and utilities to maintain human well-being, and also does so indirectly through stakeholders. This volume addresses both the direct and indirect links and provides sustainable alternatives, helping readers to better grasp the resilience of both socio-economic and resource sub-systems in the process. The issues affecting energy supply and demand, including technology portfolios, environmental considerations and consumer attitudes are thoroughly discussed. One of the critical questions that arises is how to facilitate energy investment. The investment climate and the key issues involved are analyzed, including: the capital flows with reasonable and stable investment frameworks, timely decision-making by governments, and open markets. The broad objective of the volume is to foster a deeper understanding of the concept of energy security and toidentify the methods of analysis, policy initiatives and future research needed to generate a balanced pattern of energy use and mitigate its impact on humanity and the environment.

This volume provides a systematic framework for energy suppliers, policy makers, academics, students, and all others interested in energy security, and analyzes key issues concerning energy, security and sustainability with the help of a wealth of data. While sustainability is the broadest objective, energy security is an important part of it, at the global, national and societal levels. The development of a sustainable, long-term solution to meeting the world’s energy needs is a defining issue of our time, since central global challenges that the world faces—poverty alleviation, climate change, and environmental degradation—are directly linked to energy security. The contributions cover key issues in sustainable energy and illustrate that the insecurity of a majority of countries owes to internal factors which have more to do with market forces, inefficient technologies, lack of institutions, environmental insecurity, pricing mechanisms, etc., and less to do with the international situation.The links between energy and development are both direct and indirect. Directly, energy provides several services and utilities to maintain human well-being, and also does so indirectly through stakeholders. This volume addresses both the direct and indirect links and provides sustainable alternatives, helping readers to better grasp the resilience of both socio-economic and resource sub-systems in the process. The issues affecting energy supply and demand, including technology portfolios, environmental considerations and consumer attitudes are thoroughly discussed. One of the critical questions that arises is how to facilitate energy investment. The investment climate and the key issues involved are analyzed, including: the capital flows with reasonable and stable investment frameworks, timely decision-making by governments, and open markets. The broad objective of the volume is to foster a deeper understanding of the concept of energy security and toidentify the methods of analysis, policy initiatives and future research needed to generate a balanced pattern of energy use and mitigate its impact on humanity and the environment.

Energy appears to be a fundamental driving force of economic and political strategies as well as planetary stability. Energy-related issues such as (1) the availability of new energy sources and viable technologies, (2) the disparity in access to energy sources, (3) the role of energy in our societies (energy societal metabolism), (4) the energy support to the life of our cities (where about half of world population is going to live very soon), and (5) the energy demand for food security all over the world, are “hot” problems that humans will have to face within the framework of sustainability (ecologically sound production and consumption patterns associated with socially acce- able life styles), in terms of policies, technological development and economic processes. A coherent energy strategy is required, addressing both energy supply and demand, security of access, development problems, equity, market dynamics, by also taking into account the whole energy lifecycle including fuel production, transmission and distribution, energy conversion, and the impact on energy equipment manufacturers and the end-users of energy systems. Issues of energy efficiency and rebound effect must also be taken into proper account. In the short term, the aim should be to achieve higher energy efficiencies and increased supply from local energy sources, in particular renewable energy sources.