Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
Thirsty Energy. Water and Energy in the 21ste Century
Auteur | World Economic Forum |
6-01-0-00-256.pdf | |
Datum | februari 2009 |
Classificatie | 6.01.0.00/256 (ALGEMEEN) |
Voorkant |
Uit de publicatie:
ENERGY VISION UPDATE 2009 Thirsty Energy: Water and Energy in the 21st Century World Economic Forum in partnership with Cambridge Energy Research Associates Message from the Energy Community Leader 2008 Energy and Water – Sustaining the Flow By James E. Rogers, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Duke Energy Corporation, USA In the last century, global consumption of our planet’s finite freshwater supply has grown at more than twice the rate of world population growth, leaving an increasing number of regions chronically short of water, according to the United Nations. By 2025, nearly 2 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two- thirds of the world population could be living under stressed water conditions. Water is critical to energy production and for reducing air emissions from producing energy. Yet, the water/energy nexus is often overlooked. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008 last January, I recall UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon warning that what most businesses are doing to address the water issue amounts to “a drop in the bucket.” But for many electric utilities around the world, that is not the case. With changing weather patterns causing more frequent weather extremes in some areas, the availability of water is frequently receiving more attention. In fact, in the United States, utility companies recognize that water quantity is becoming a significant permitting issue. In the United States, electric utilities are one of the larger consumers of water, although agricultural irrigation is by far the greatest water consumer. But unlike irrigation, and depending on the type of power generation, cooli