InTech has done it again: in order to promote one of the most dynamic research areas, raise awareness on current global issues, meet renowned representatives of the most authoritative world organisations in the field, InTech has become an official participant, exhibitor and contributor to the World Sustainable Energy Conference to be held in Geneva, January 10th-12th.
Other participants include the likes of UNESCO, WHO, WTO, Greenpeace, Greencross, ISEO, just to name a few, all gathered in one place to set a sustainable energy agenda that might just change all of our lives. How?
Sustainable energy provides energy to meet the needs of the present without endangering the provision of energy sources for future generations. All renewable energy sources are valid assets to provide sustainable energy and include:
- Hydroelectricity
- Solar Energy
- Wind Energy
- Wave Power
- Geothermal energy
- Bio Energy
- Tidal Power
Among other, sustainable energy solutions and their implementation tools by energy type, quantity, annual investment and cost from now until 2050 and beyond will be thoroughly discussed at the conference, proving also the positive impact of such energies on economies, the environment and the overall health of us all. All issues discussed, conclusions and recommendations for governments and active parties engaged in subjects related to sustainable energy will be forwarded as input to the next Rio + 20 Summit (United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) to be held on June 20-22, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
InTech has been raising environmental care awareness through its publications many times and by having been invited to this year’s Geneva conference, the stakes are about to be raised not only for InTech as a publisher pushing forward for a greener earth promoting authors passionately engaging in environmental issues, but to our global audience of researchers, scientists and lay readers too, all heavily interested in being on top of the latest news and developments regarding this specific field of study and its implications for all the stakeholders: each Earth’s inhabitant included.
Our Earth in Unsustainable Numbers
Looking at some of the latest stats on what has actually been going on for the last few decades in relation to energy supplies, consumption and dangerous emissions, it comes as no surprise we have drained our home, planet Earth. In fact we’re killing it.
To remind ourselves from time to time how impoverished our Earth is of all its natural resources (coal, petroleum, mineral gas), just take a look at some of the stats below clearly portraying the rapid growth of demand for energy and the consumption of sky high amounts of natural resources for its production through the past few decades.
The graphs above have been published by IEA (International Energy Agency) in October 2011.
How many non-renewable natural energy resources have we left? Perhaps you’d rather skip the shocking data below:
Remaining Non Renewable Resources (in order of appearance: nuclear e., coal, oil, natural gas) and Global Energy Consumption
Peeking Into the Future
Far from being a solution, but more of a utopia dream some of us are bedazzled with, 30 years ago a real visionary, Jacque Fresco, initiated what is now a successful organisation promoting ground-breaking, innovative ideas and red-hot research paths for possible future developments in many fields of technology, environmental and social sciences. Fresco, a self-educated structural designer, philosopher of science, concept artist and futurist envisioned new systems as a solution to planetary dilemmas such as poverty, crime, war or waste, all comprised in the Florida-based Venus Project. To clarify the concept of a “resource-based economy” which is the centre point of Fresco’s vision for the future and the Venus Project, the advance of technology could and is easily making all types of resources available to more people. If those resources were produced in higher quantities, that could lead to prevailing society’s tendency towards individualism, corruption or greed.
AVAILABILITY→ SUSTAINABILITY → TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT= CONSUMER’S DEMAND
Moreover, the resources would be allocated by an automated system named Cybernation and all unused goods would be reused leading to a self-efficient, self-sustainable dynamic socio-structure.
You might be wondering where’s the direct connection between such vision of the future and our current environmental issues. As stated by the most authoritative sources involved in monitoring the environment, most of our energy needs are provided through methods highly destructive to the environment as well as populations; also, finite natural resources are being consumed to a point were soon we are expected to be left with none. By strongly advocating a more sustainable consummation of all of our resources, including energy, and by exploring the possibility of alternative life styles ruled by a stronger awareness and respect towards the environment and ecological alternatives, the Venus Project engages into a battle towards a better world for all of us. Utopia or not, a single person’s action won’t do wonders, but collective engagement towards raising awareness of the limitation of all of our earth resources might.
The Final Word
Josh Keyes, an American contemporary artist who’s work has been described as “a satirical look at the impact urban sprawl has on the environment and surmises, with the aid of scientific slices and core samples, what could happen if we continue to infiltrate and encroach on our rural surroundings”, sums our past, present and future in a glance, more significant than all the 870 words I have spent writing up this post. So take a good glance and think about it.
Josh Keyes Painting 2
Josh Keyes Painting 1
To read more about current environmental issues, world energy supplies and renewable energy sources, browse through some of our latest books free to read, share and download:
– “Earth and Environmental Sciences”, edited by Imran Ahmad Dar and Mithas Ahmad Dar, December, 2011
– “Sustainable Growth and Applications in Renewable Energy Sources”, edited by Majid Nayeripour and Mostafa Kheshti, December 2011
– “Solar Cells-Dye-Sensitized devices”, edited by Leonid A. Kosyachenko, November 2011
– “Renewable Energy-Trends and Applications”, edited by Majid Nayeripour and Mostafa Kheshti, November 2011
– “Environmental Monitoring”, edited by Ema O. Ekundayo, November 2011
Article sources:
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/energy-page.png
http://www.thevenusproject.com/get-involved/major-motion-picture-donations
http://www.uniseo.org/background.html
http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/12002/1/rise-josh-keyes
InTechOpen Blog 
The concept of a “Resource-Based Economy” of any one ofus who is dreaming to see vision
for the future and the advance of technology that is not harmful to our Nature.
What we would like to see is the all types of resources available to more people. If those resources
were produced in higher quantities, that could lead to prevailing society’s tendency t owards
individualism, corruption or greed.(*The Author admired and Honoured For, SIAYI)