ICTP COLLOQUIUM ON 11/01/2012

[Info Point]

*ICTP COLLOQUIUM*

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*11:00, Wednesday, 11 January 2012*

*Main Lecture Hall, Leonardo Building, ICTP*

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*Professor Chris Llewellyn-Smith*

*Director of Energy Research, Oxford University***

*President SESAME Council*

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*Future World Energy Demand *

*and Supply*

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The biggest challenge of the 21^st century is to provide sufficient 
food, water, and energy to allow everyone on the planet to live decent 
lives, in the face of rising population, the threat of climate change, 
and (sooner or later) declining fossil fuels. I will review the nature 
of the challenge and the portfolio of measures that must be adopted if 
it is to be met. These include lowering energy demand, through better 
planning and design and changes of behaviour, using energy more 
efficiency, the deployment of carbon capture and storage (if feasible 
and safe), and expansion of the use of renewable energy sources to the 
maximum extent reasonably possible. Major expansion of nuclear energy 
will be necessary. In the second half of the century thorium and/or fast 
breeder reactors, and/or large scale solar power, and/or fusion will be 
essential: all must be developed as a matter of urgency. The technical 
challenge is enormous, but the political and economic challenges are 
even greater.

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