Replacing Oil And Natural Gas With Coal

Undoubtedly, the industrialized countries are already facing a major and even existential problem: that of the transition from societies based on the massive use of fossil fuels to societies that have learned to do without them. This will, of necessity, be the real driver of the energy transition that we are talking about so much now! Because it is the future availability of fossil fuels that will give the tempo of this transition, and not the development of other sources of energy, so difficult is the way that remains to be done to these to replace them! This book aims to provide non-specialists, and those who are concerned by energy transition and climate protection, basic knowledge to better understand the nature of fossil fuels and their importance in the economies of the industrialized countries. The book also explains why their future availability will play a vital role in the future economic and social transformations in these countries. It consists of two parts that can be read in a largely independent way: – The first part aims to present the variety of fossil fuels and the physicochemical principles ruling their formation and that of their deposits in the earth’s crust. – The second part is a discussion on major current issues: What are the remaining fossil fuel reserves? When precisely during this century can we predict the decline of their productions? What consequences will this decline have for industrial societies? What is and what will be their role in climate change? What risks does their use entail for public health?

"Explains how these fuels were formed, where they are found, how they are used, what kinds of problems they can cause, and how scientists are finding ways to use them more wisely and safely."--P. [4] of cover.

Concerns over energy resources and the environmental impact of energy use will continue to be part of the polical agenda across the globe. World Scientific's unique series of books on Current Energy Issues is intended, in part, as an expansion and update of the material contained in the World Scientific Handbook of Energy but in part each volume will focus on related energy resources or issues that contain a broader range of topics plus more explanatory text than was possible in the Handbook. The authors will also take the opportunity to update the data presented in the Handbook since in many cases the field is rapidly changing.The Fossil Fuels volume focuses on the main fossil resources, viz. coal, oil and natural gas. Coal is still an extremely important resource especially for electricity production around the world and the book discussed methods for making coal a cleaner resource, including carbon sequestration. There has been a rapid change in the mix of fossil fuels mainly because of hydraulic fracturing which enables oil and gas to be extracted from previously inaccessible formations. The book describes this changing situation including the precautions required to make the production of these fuels safe and environmentally benign. Alternative fossil fuels such as methane hydrates are also discussed.