Energy: The New Agenda - Paperback

by Ali Sayigh (Introduction by), Raymond M. Wright (Author)

The global energy situation is reaching a crisis point in terms of sustainability. The depletion of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) will continue unabated considering the increasing rate of energy consumption worldwide. It is expected that global energy demand will nearly double by 2050. The new and long term energy future that we envisage will be powered by alternative energy and cleaner fossil fuels. Billions of dollars must be expended on upgrading electricity transmission networks to handle increased demand and the variable input of renewables such as wind and solar. Much of the capital financing will come from private investment, but Governments will need to continue to implement policies that foster investment by private companies in order to encourage the growth of renewables. The enormity of the challenge also means that Governments should do their part to encourage the societal and technological shift towards new and improved energy systems. As civil society and political leaders face the difficult and varied choices, they should remember that failure to act now could force society into more painful choices in the future. We can no longer afford to ignore the clarion call of the future. Instead we must plan ahead and strive toward energy sustainability and security. Despite the hurdles confronting us, the drive to create a new energy system can only be beneficial to everyone. This new and cleaner energy system will assist in reducing the rapid rise in greenhouse gas emissions that is now accepted as a contributor to global warming. Competition among energy sources will stimulate innovation, keep energy affordable and increase global energy security. That is the mission, and the New Agenda. This book deals with conventional as well as renewable energy sources, sustainable architecture, energy efficiency and climate change mitigation.

Author Biography

Raymond Wright, a former Group Managing Director of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, has experience and expertise in a wide range of energy matters. He is trained as a geologist and is a former Commissioner of Mines and Geology. He has co-edited a major work, Geological Society of America Memoir 182, Biostratigraphy of Jamaica, published in 1993. He has published widely in various international journals and books on many subjects including energy, environment, resource policy, micropaleontology and stratigraphy. He has been a consultant on energy programmes and policy for a number of multilateral and bilateral agencies on most continents. Dr Wright holds a PhD from Stanford University, an MPhil from University College, London and a BSc from Durham University. Dr. Wright has received several awards, including the Commander of the Order of Distinction (CD) conferred in 1989 and the Chubb Award for Excellence from the Geological Society of Jamaica in 1993. At the 2002 World Renewable Energy Congress in Cologne, Germany, he was awarded the accolade of Pioneer in Renewables. His most recent awards are the inaugural CARICOM Science Medal for the excellence of his contribution to the earth sciences in the Caribbean, and the Jamaican National Medal for Science and Technology (2008).