REM 650: Sustainable Energy & Materials Management

1. REM 650:Sustainable Energy & Materials Management Introduction and Key Concepts Mark Jaccard Energy and Materials Research Group School of Resource and Environmental Management Simon Fraser University Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

2. Course content How human-induced flows of energy and materials are, or might become, a challenge for sustaining the earth’s life-support capability and social cohesion Thermodynamic, technological, geological and biological options for changing the character of these flows toward greater sustainability Potential implications of these options from an ecological, economic and social perspective Institutional arrangements, decision-making processes and policy mechanisms (local, regional, national, global) for fostering the global adoption of more sustainable technologies and behaviors Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

3. Critical questions in course • Can current or even substantially higher human-related flows of energy and materials be sustainable? • Can non-renewable resource use be part of a sustainable energy and material system? • Is energy return on energy invested a useful concept? • Is peak oil an important concept? • Is peak phosphorous an important concept? • Is energy efficiency cheap? • How do we define behavioral changes for sustainability and what is this potential? • How do we compare / trade-off between renewables, nuclear and carbon capture & storage? • How do we evaluate alternative policies for sustainability? • Should policies be technology-neutral? Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

4. Critical questions in course • What institutions and policy processes are needed for rapidly scaling-up renewables? • Is carbon neutrality a useful target and are offsets a useful policy contribution? • How do we assess geo-engineering as an option for addressing the climate change risk? • How can we achieve the necessary global effort against the climate risk? • What mechanisms within and between nations can rapidly provide energy access to 2 billion people? • What is economic growth and can it be sustained indefinitely? • Can international trade be sustainable? • Is foreign investment good or bad for developing countries? • How can research into human cognition help with policy design? • What role, if any, for civil activism in advancing sustainability? Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

5. Introduction Energy & power 1st & 2nd laws of thermodynamics – including efficiency measurement Sources & magnitudes of energy stocks and flows Energy system and transformations Material cycles (water, sulphur, nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon) Greenhouse effect Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

6. Energy & power Def. energy – the ability to do work – “force acting through distance” 1 joule = 1 newton-metre Newton is a unit of force, roughly equivalent to the force required to hold an apple in your hand at sea level (to counteract the force of gravity). Thus, lifting the apple 1 metre requires 1 joule of energy. Other energy units are kwh, btu, calorie Def. power – measure of how fast energy can be delivered - power = energy /time 1 watt = 1 joule / 1 second Other power units are btus per hour, horsepower Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

7. First law of thermodynamics Def. – first law of thermodynamics – energy / matter can be neither created nor destroyed - also called “conservation law” - energy inputs must equal energy outputs for any transformation process (energy conservation) - matter inputs must equal matter outputs for every process and this must be true separately for each chemical element (mass balance principle) (except nuclear reaction where matter and energy are controvertible) Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

8. Second law of thermodynamics Def. – second law of thermodynamics – in an isolated system, entropy increases with every transformation or physical action - also called “entropy law” - with energy, increased entropy means decreased quality of energy (ability to do work), ie decreased energy exergy - with materials, increased entropy means decreased concentration of a chemical element (eg, corrosion of copper pipe), ie decreased material exergy Material exergy is often measured as concentration of an element relative to its ave. concentration in a reference medium (% grade of copper in an ore body relative to ave. concentration of copper in earth’s crust) We don’t consume energy (1st law), but rather energy exergy (2nd law) We don’t consume material (1st law), but rather material exergy (2nd law) Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

9. Breaking 1st or 2nd law? Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

10. Thermodynamic laws and energy efficiency Def – first law energy efficiency – the ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input of a device or process (cannot exceed 100%) = useful energy output of a device / energy input of the device Def – second law energy efficiency – the ratio of the theoretical minimum amount of energy to perform a task to the energy input of a device or process = minimum amount of useful energy theoretically needed / energy input of the device Cutting a block of butter with a chainsaw. How would we calculate the 1st and 2nd law efficiencies? What do physicists mean by open, closed and isolated systems? Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

11. First Law EfficiencyUseful work out / Energy in Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

12. Second Law EfficiencyMinimal amount of energy needed / Energy in Vs. Alton Truck Company Ford F650 Custom Bicycle, solar and manual. Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

13. Energy forms & transformations Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

14. Energy sources Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

15. Nuclear fission on earth (perhaps fusion in future) Fossil fuels Photosynthesis Biomass Nuclear fusion on the sun Nuclear reaction Photo-voltaic Solar-thermal Wind Hydropower (solar fusion and gravity) Geothermal (radioactive decay and gravity) Gravitational force Tidal Renewables (others include wave, ocean thermal, etc) Only two main sources of energy Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

16. Relative energy magnitudes near earth’s surface Solar radiation – 174,000 TW reaching the earth, of which 89,000 reaches surface of land and oceans (174,000 TW is at least 10,000 times human energy system) Geothermal energy – 32 TW near the earth’s surface Tidal energy – 3 TW Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

17. Destination of the solar flux Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

18. Energy supply options for humans Intercept the continuous flow of solar and geothermal energy at and just below the earth’s surface (wind, biomass, tidal, ocean geothermal, wave, hydropower, solar thermal, solar light) Exploit until exhausted the non-renewable geothermal energy near the earth’s surface Exploit until exhausted the non-renewable chemical energy in fossil fuels Convert matter into energy via nuclear fission and perhaps fusion Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

19. Energy stocks and flows Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

20. Human energy system Since humans exploit, transform, transport and use energy to satisfy their needs, they have defined and categorized these stages Primary energy – energy at its point of production Secondary energy (energy carriers, energy vectors) – energy that has been processed in some way so that it can be used by an end-use device to meet human needs Tertiary energy (end-use energy, energy service, useful energy) – energy performing useful work at its point of application Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

21. Human energy system Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

22. Human energy system Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

23. Energy end-use sectors Transport – usually divided into personal and freight and each of these by mode; includes off-road vehicles Residential – domestic buildings and appliances Commercial-institutional – essentially buildings used for offices, institutions, retail, etc Industrial – usually distinguish energy-intensive industries from others; also distinguish energy uses from use as material feedstock (carbon for steel, oil and natural gas for petrochemicals, biomass for paper, etc.) Agricultural – sometimes split and combined with residential and industrial Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

24. Fossil fuels 66% effic 33% effic Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

25. Energy conversion losses Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

26. Energy conversion losses Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

27. Key material cycles Hydrological Nitrogen Sulphur Phosphorus Carbon Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

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29. Nitrogen cycle Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

30. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

31. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

32. Carbon cycle Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

33. North America carbon sources and sinks Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

34. Greenhouse effect & human contribution Greenhouse effect Human-produced greenhouse gases CO2 from fossil fuel use Potential impacts on climate, biosphere, etc Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

35. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

36. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

37. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

38. Fossil fuels Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

39. Temperature effects Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

40. Risk and uncertainty: playing roulette with the planet Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

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42. Risk responsibility by country in cumulative carbon emissions Jaccard-Simon Fraser University

43. Recipients of risk: climate related mortality per million pop (2000) Jaccard-Simon Fraser University