Lecture 1.3 A brief History of technology and the human impact in the quest for energy

Wealth also means more … usage.

Wealth also means more energy usage.

Is biobased sustainable by itself?

Not really…

• Throughout history, humans have been known to drain resources completely.

• Sometimes nature is resilient to it and sometimes it’s not→ extintion

• Human presence = landscape modification

Biobased fuels and chemicals

wood

-For personal heat and cooking

Biobased fuels and chemicals

Charcoal (derived from wood by pyrolysis)

-Heat operations such as: iron smelting and glass making

Biobased fuels and chemicals

Wood tar

-Coating and water proofing

Biobased fuels and chemicals

whale oil

-Light and lubricants

Biobased fuels and chemicals

Plant oils

Energy from biomass

Varies from energy content and efficiencies

Exploited land and sea for resources =

different land needs food vs forest

Exploited land and sea for resources = different land needs food vs forest

• Change of land use from forests to farm-land

• Patterns around the world: eg: loss of rainforests due to palm-oil plantation

• Smart and sustainable forestry operations and good agricultural practices are critical

As population increases there is more need for space for… due to backgrounds on …

As population increases there is more need for space for crop and domestication of animals due to backgrounds on colonization and industrialization.

Human dominance changing landscapes example (Dominican Republic)

• Mosaic pattern clearings ca. AD 195 to ca. AD 560

Human dominance changing landscapes example (Dominican Republic)

• Accommodation of villages and crop cultivation for local use in forested river valley with small-scale clearings. ca AD 560 to ca. AD 1410

Human dominance changing landscapes example (Dominican Republic)

• Beginning of urbanization, cattle breeding after colonization. ca. AD 1410 to ca. 1650

Human dominance changing landscapes example (Dominican Republic)

• Pine plantations, tobacco and sugar cane, cerealia, maize. ca AD 1410 to ca. 1650

Human dominance changing landscapes example (Dominican Republic)

• Global pattern of agricultural expansion; complete deforestation. ca. AD 1950

How did wood help other industries such as iron manufacturing?

Bloomery production

Charcoal → good energy density

Early biochemicals

wood tar

Early biochemicals: wood tar

• used for ship construction

• tar distillation

• 30-40 year old pines

• by 1900, coastal forests where largely degraded and deforested because of tar distillation

Example of nature-based material

whale oil

Example of nature-based material: whale oil for:

Clean burning lamp oil

Example of nature-based material: whale caused:

Brief and intensive fishery that resulted in the commercial extinction of southern right whales in NZ and EA in just two decades.

Energy for Agriculture-productivity overview

More people → More food needed → Higher productivity → More energy needed

Changing method of food production impacts:

Changing method of food production impacts:

1. how many people can be supported

2. How much energy is used

Animal Labor (energy overview)

• limits of human labor and transport

• animal power

• limited by energy and logistics

However: there was still need for technological innovations to increase efficiency

Power of wind and water

-started substituting animal labor

Power of wind and water→ watermills

Most efficient energy conversion in pre-industrial society.

Produce high levels of kinetic energy continuously, not like animal power

Shifting from biobased to fossil-based (petroleum) energy sources like:

1. Coal

2. oil

Shifting from biobased to fossil-based (petroleum) energy sources like: 1. coal

• coal
  Kerosene (“wax-oil”) for lighting

• Energy dense but high variation

• used in pre-industrial era

• industrial revolution→variety of uses

Shifting from biobased to fossil-based (petroleum) energy sources like: 1. oil

• oil
  Boiled and distilled oil at diff. temps.

-crude oil could be distilled for use in lamps

-paraffin

Shifting from biobased to fossil-based (petroleum) energy sources like: oil and coal

took time to stop using and finding alternatives

Electric lightning:

Decreased lamp oil need with a carbon filament from plant based materials which eventually eliminated lamp oil.

Steam(water)-engine developed large demand for energy—and chemicals by:

• Conversion of heat generated through combustion into “mechanical labour”

-rail transport, chipping, pumps for machinery

-required fuel and lubricants

• Combination of charcoal and coal as feedstocks for steam production

-Start of synthetic dyes and meds

-Coal outpaced charcoal

From coal to petroleum

• Until 1965 coal dominated

• After WW2 greater number of sources of petroleum due to:

-demand of autos

-higher yield and flexibility

From coal to petroleum

Prosperity has been linked with:

oil access

Pathway from primary energy to electricity in your home

Primary energy (coal) → Power Station (heat energy→ KE→electrical energy) → electrical energy → delivered energy → useful energy

More than 60% of energy used for … is lost in conversion.

More than 60% of energy used for electricity generation is lost in conversion.

Solutions

• Stop burning materials

• renewable energies (becoming more competitive)

• access to energy