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AbstractThis paper considers the possibility to develop cleaner energy production with a perspective on regional material and energy flow management. The co‐production method of district and industrial heat/steam and electricity (of heat and power, CHP) using renewable or waste fuels is viewed as a physical anchor tenant function for locally based industrial recycling networks. Arguably, this production method may be used to enhance the integration of producers as well as end‐consumers into a local recycling network of matter and energy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

This analysis develops and predicts a politically controversial idea, namely that nuclear fission power will be the dominant energy resource of the 21st century. Abundant energy enables higher and more efficient utilization of resources. Energy drives the engines of industrial and food production, transportation, building construction, space heating, transformation of landscapes, recreation, etc. This article compares other energy alternatives with the potential of nuclear fission power. It predicts that several hundred nuclear plants, each nominally of 10 gigawatts capacity, could supply the world's energy requirements without creation of polluting greenhouse gases. Moreover, the superabundance of power this would represent could feed the world, supply its drinking water, and raise the per capita income and standard of living to levels where total human population would level off at an acceptable number. However, realization of such benefits requires unprecedented world cooperation, and these issues are also treated in this article.

A clean energy future is both plausible and in the best interests of the country. The Upper Midwest, acting in concert with appropriate policy changes at the national level, could play a pivotal role in helping the nation move in that direction. As the past century's embrace of centralized power is beginning to weaken, a variety of policy drivers, including concerns about energy system capacity and reliability, the improvement of public health by reducing pollution, the enhancement of national security by decreased reliance on nuclear power, and the need to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, are beginning to make clear the outlines of this energy transition. The proposals offered by the Environmental Lawand Policy Center and Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy rely on proven, economical, and environmentally sustainable technology options. An aggressive development plan featuring efficiency, wind, and other renewable resources will be a significant first step in solving the climate change problem.

Concerns about energy security have dramatically increased since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. If U.S. energy use follows business-as-usual projections, the energy system will become increasingly vulnerable. No quick fixes are available to make the United States energy independent. However, there are energy policies that promote efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar can gradually reduce dependence on imported oil and natural gas and reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. energy infrastructure to disruption of supplies or to attack. This article reviews recent analyses by the U.S. Energy Information Administration's and by the Union of Concerned Scientists. These studies showthat efficiency and renewable energy investments can increase energy security while lowering consumer energy bills and reducing local and global environmental hazards.

Thermonuclear fusion is on the way, and beyond it the promise of limitless power derived from hydrogen in water and air. The challenge for the next few years will be to eke out our fossil fuels, and the most plentiful by far is coal. So how to reform a fuel that has long been considered the most environmentally unfriendly of them all?

Empirical studies demonstrate that, although substantial improvements in energy efficiency have already been made, there still exist significant economic potentials - even in energy intensive sectors. Realising these potentials will reduce costs for energy services and improve overall economic efficiency, but employment gains are likely to be small. Technological progress in energy efficiency may foster economic growth and export rates for energy efficient products can be expected to continue, in particular, if policies are appropriately designed to realise untapped efficiency potentials and to encourage innovation in energy efficient technologies.

Energy is also an essential factor input to economic activity, such as in the fields of agriCUlture, services, industry and transport. Energy is a major raw material traded worldwide, playing an important economic and political role in the world context. The location of these major energy resources, such as oil, gas, and coalfields, relative to the large consuming countries, gives rise to complex relationships between producers and consumers.The burning of these resources has negative repercussions on the environment, causing global warming and the greenhouse effect. This is the result of the depletion of the ozone layer. The solution to this problem is to have sustainable development. ; N/A