Dinner Speech - John Golbeck: Perspectives on Worldwide Energy Demand in the Coming Decade

Energy is used worldwide at a rate of 4.1 x 10²⁰ Joules/yr, which is equivalent to 13 trillion watts. Even with widespread conservation efforts and increases in energy efficiency, the consumption of energy is projected to double to 30 trillion watts by 2050 and to triple to 46 trillion watts by 2099.  Although worldwide reserves of fossil fuels may be able to meet this demand, their continued use results in the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are the primary cause of climate change. In this Dinner Speech, I will briefly outline what is known about available energy supplies and how a sustainable supply of liquid fuels can be maintained from a combination of renewables and recyclable carbon stores.