1 research outputs found
Sustainability and Energy Development: Influences of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Options on Water Use in Energy Production
Climate change mitigation strategies cannot be evaluated
solely in terms of energy cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation
potential. Maintaining GHGs at a “safe” level will require
fundamental change in the way we approach energy production, and a
number of environmental, economic, and societal factors will come
into play. Water is an essential component of energy production, and
water resource constraints will limit our options for meeting society’s
growing demand for energy while also reducing GHG emissions. This
study evaluates these potential constraints from a global perspective
by revisiting the climate wedges proposal of Pacala and Socolow (<i>Science</i> <b>2004</b>, <i>305 </i>(5686),
968–972) and evaluating the potential water-use impacts of
the wedges associated with energy production. GHG mitigation options
that improve energy conversion or use efficiency can simultaneously
reduce GHG emissions, lower energy costs, and reduce energy impacts
on water resources. Other GHG mitigation options (e.g., carbon capture
and sequestration, traditional nuclear, and biofuels from dedicated
energy crops) increase water requirements for energy. Achieving energy
sustainability requires deployment of alternatives that can reduce
GHG emissions, water resource impacts, and energy costs