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Constraints and Hazards

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Abstract

Even if this part is dedicated to solutions, it would be incomplete without a mention of some constraints or drawbacks related to our energy sources. Some of them have to do with the inherent difficulties associated with any large-scale implementation of our energetic solutions and others, sadly, with casualties generated by these energy sources.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    With this definition in mind, it takes \(1/e\) J to get 1 J of a given source of EROI \(e\). Therefore, any Joule recovered only counts for \((1-1/e)\) J. Mitigation of the numbers in Table 6.3 eventually amounts to multiply them by a factor \((1-1/e)\).

  2. 2.

    According to Tainter and Patzek [4, p. 208], this has definitely something to do with the accidents related to the upper mentioned platforms.

  3. 3.

    Warning: the world of non-conventional oil is a jungle. Besides shale oil/tight oil, you have tar sands, extra heavy oil or even biofuels that some count in the category. Though not obvious for the newcomer, Shale oil and oil shale are two completely different things. And so on. The Wikipedia page on “Unconventional oil” is a good start to sort things out.

  4. 4.

    See https://demanda.ree.es/demanda.html.

  5. 5.

    See https://demanda.ree.es/generacion_acumulada.html.

  6. 6.

    It can be done by simply rescaling the production and the consumption.

  7. 7.

    The Airbus A380 can take up to 853 passengers. See www.airbus.com.

  8. 8.

    World Health Organization, www.who.int.

  9. 9.

    Regarding the so-called “Petro-states,” see The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-states by Terry Lynn Karl [18].

  10. 10.

    Sources for coal: US & Australia New South Wales Government—International Mining Fatality Review Database (IMFRD)—US Department of Labor China IMFRD, China Energy Statistical Yearbook, China Energy Research Society, China Coal Industry Yearbook, cited in [19], India IMFRD and Government of India Ministry of Coal, www.coal.nic.in/point18.html . Sources for US Oil & Gas US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  11. 11.

    Considering 1 ton \(=\) 7.33 barrels.

  12. 12.

    Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 355, Appendix A. See www.ecfr.gov.

  13. 13.

    US Energy Information Administration. See www.eia.gov.

  14. 14.

    International Energy Agency. See www.iea.gov.

  15. 15.

    International Commission on Large Dams, www.icold-cigb.org/GB/World_register/general_synthesis.asp.

  16. 16.

    The Three Gorges Dam can deliver 22 GW.

  17. 17.

    Medicine exploits this very process to cure hyperthyroidism. Also, Fukushima residents were given iodide pills to saturate their thyroid with healthy iodine before the coming of the radioactive one.

  18. 18.

    See Wikipedia article on Sievert for a starter on this and the other units related to radioactivity.

  19. 19.

    About 5,000 Bq from potassium-40 [39, p. 39].

  20. 20.

    There were more than 1 reactor in trouble in Fukushima.

  21. 21.

    Quite small indeed, around 5 %. The rest can be recycled [53].

  22. 22.

    The kind of pool already mentioned in relation with the Fukushima accident.

  23. 23.

    See www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr.

  24. 24.

    See the “Desertec” project for example, www.desertec.org.

  25. 25.

    There are neutronless and tritiumless fusion reactions, like \(\mathrm{D}+\mathrm{He3} \rightarrow \mathrm{He4}+\mathrm{p}\). But they require even more energy than \(\mathrm{D} + \mathrm{T}\).

  26. 26.

    Just solve \(1.2\times 10^{17}(1.3)^n=5.3\times 10^{21}/2\), where is \(n\) the number of years.

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  1. ETSI Industriales, Universidad Castilla La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Antoine Bret

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Bret, A. (2014). Constraints and Hazards. In: The Energy-Climate Continuum. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07920-2_7

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