Environment, Power and Society for the Twenty-First Century: The Hierarchy of Energy by Howard T. Odum

Author:Howard T. Odum [Odum, Howard T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science/Life Sciences/Ecology, SCI026000, Science/Environmental Science, SCI020000
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2007-04-26T22:00:00+00:00

Any area can be characterized by its pattern of resource use, which is an energy signature of its activity (fig. 7.21a). Energy sources are arranged from left to right in order of transformity. Figure 7.21a, showing the energy flows in Florida, might be very misleading if used to infer the basis for society. But inflows are correctly compared on an emergy basis in fig. 7.21b. This is an empower signature, which shows the amounts and kinds of inputs on a common basis. It predicts the kinds of energy users that will predominate in a system that adapts to these resources. The example shows that the state of Florida is supported mainly by the fossil and nuclear empower plus that of purchased goods and services, which are also fossil fuel based. This signature is typical of developed areas, which are becoming more alike.

Many thoughtful leaders have long warned of the future shortages of fossil fuels, although the timetables of disaster are continually being revised as new sources of these fuels are found. But the earlier warnings are pertinent even if the timing of crisis is still unknown. Oil and coal will not run out, but the ratio of energy found to energy spent in obtaining them will continue to decrease until net emergy ratios of remaining deposits are less than alternative renewable sources. If the net yield of potential energy begins to approach that of wood, we will have returned to the solar energy-based economy, and by that time the standards of living of the world will have retrogressed to those of two centuries ago. Whether such changes will come suddenly in a catastrophe or slowly as a gradual trend is one of the great issues of our time (chapter 13).

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.