Energy Sustainability after Global Fossil Energy Depletion
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2010) | Viewed by 29242
Special Issue Editor
Interests: basic population ecology; genetics; ecological and economic aspects of pest control; biological control; energy use and conservation; genetic engineering; sustainable agriculture; soil and water conservation; natural resource management and environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Several energy specialists project that the world will deplete oil resources by 2040 or about 30 years from now. Natural gas and coal will be depleted later or about 2100. After the fossil energy resources are depleted, humans will have to rely on solar energy technologies, these include hydropower, biomass, photovoltaics, solar thermal, geothermal, algae oil, solar ponds, biogas, and parabolic troughs. All of these solar energy technologies require land to collect solar energy then convert it into various forms of energy. The land requirement to produce one half of the energy now used in the U.S. and Canada will require an estimated 20% of the land. Of course, no use of cropland is planned because cropland is essential for food production. Transportation of goods and people will have to rely on trains and ships – no aircraft and few automobiles. Homes will be smaller with heavy insulation and heating these homes will be difficult. In the northeastern and Midwestern U.S. biomass will be the prime heating source. In the West and South, electricity will be the prime source of heat. Agricultural production will trend toward organic farming that could reduce the energy inputs by about 50% for many crops.
Prof. Dr. David Pimentel
Guest Editor
Keywords
- fossil energy
- solar energy
- biomass energy
- cropland
- geothermal energy
- food production
- transportation
- residential and commercial heating
- organic farming
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
