Salvation Technologies?

Abstract

Available fossil energy sources are dubiously compatible with the goal of arresting climate change. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies currently do not work on an industrial scale, and even if they could be made to work, they will reduce the energy returned on energy invested (EROI) of fossil fuels to below acceptable levels. The EROI of nuclear fission is disputed, but most peer-reviewed work places it in the 5–14 range, making it of questionable utility. Nuclear fusion, if it works, will not be available in time. Some renewable sources—notably, various biofuels—have unacceptably low EROIs. The remaining forms of renewable energy—solar, wind, hydropower, and wave power—sport EROIs that are, at best, on the cusp of viability. There is reasonable hope for improvement in these technologies because they are, at present, immature. In the meantime, it would be ideal if we could find a way to give them an edge.