The big picture

Hydrocarbones

Supplies of oil and gas are peaking, not from fundamental reasons but from a temporary lack of investment. Many developing economies suffer already from the $100 barril. Even if new fields in the Caspian and in Siberia come online, the global online stream is dominated by the giant reservoirs in the Gulf.

Uranium and water reactors

Opinions differ whether the uranium supply is peaking. 75% of the some 460 nuclear reactors are older than 20 years. Several countries look to secure their future energy needs and have announced plans to build more reactors. Since GigaWatt water reactors are megaprojects, a limiting factor could be competent engineers.

Biomass, wind, sun

Renewables will never deliver GigaWatts. Energy efficiency could help for combustion engines, illumination and heating but the emerging industrial giants see to that the demand for energy always will grow.

Coal & air pollution

Air particles and mining accidents cause more death per kWh than any other energy source.

Infected water

Currrent energy prices do not allow for desalination plants in poor countries. Concerns however emerge worldwide over water supplies.

Sun’s activity controls longterm climate

Danish scientists have succeeded in uncovering the mechanism for climate change. Most probably the planet is set up for a new little ice age, possibly starting out only a decade from now.

Hydrogen & ammonia

Replacing oil in the often neglected key roles as carrier and storage for energy, the H2 era might well complement the Nuclear Renaissance. Ammonia NH3 is a proven way to store H2 for use in cheap and robust alkaline fuel cells.

Conclusion

Disruptive megatrend technologies delivering relevant quantities of easy, practical, compact, environmental, local, cheap, safe and non-proliferant energy are desperately needed. Tensions over strategic resources already dominate geopolitics.