Resource and Energy Geography

Watch

• How much land does it take to power the world? ↗TED-Ed
• Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? 1/3 ↗Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
• Why the world's superpowers are racing to control the Arctic - BBC World Service ↗BBC World Service
• Global renewables: Pioneering the energy transition | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary
• Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic ↗National Geographic
• Earth 101 | National Geographic ↗National Geographic

Read

• The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World ↗A magisterial survey of the global energy landscape, this volume offers an indispensable guide to the geopolitical forces shaping the transition to a more sustainable future.Daniel Yergin
• Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air ↗For those seeking rigorous, data-driven insights into the true potential and limitations of renewable energy, this book provides an essential quantitative framework.David J.C. MacKay
• Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming ↗This compendium presents a compelling, actionable roadmap of solutions, many rooted in renewable resources and efficient systems, for tackling climate change.Paul Hawken (Editor)
• Energy and Civilization: A History ↗An exhaustive historical analysis of humanity's evolving relationship with energy, providing crucial context for understanding the current imperative for renewable transitions.Vaclav Smil
• The Tragedy of the CommonsThis seminal essay remains vital for comprehending the inherent challenges in managing shared, often replenishable, resources and the necessity of collective action.Garrett Hardin
• Review of Solutions to Global Warming, Air Pollution, and Energy SecurityThis comprehensive review provides a robust technical and economic argument for transitioning entirely to wind, water, and solar energy, challenging conventional wisdom.Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi

Voices to follow

• Amory Lovins ↗A long-standing proponent of 'soft energy paths' and radical energy efficiency, his work provides a pragmatic blueprint for transitioning to renewable resource economies.Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
• Mark Z. Jacobson ↗His rigorous modelling and advocacy for 100% wind, water, and solar (WWS) energy systems offer a detailed, if sometimes debated, vision for a fully renewable future.Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
• Vaclav Smil ↗His meticulous, data-driven analyses of energy transitions and material requirements offer a sobering, yet essential, perspective on the practicalities and limitations of scaling renewable resources.Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba
• Saul Griffith ↗An engineer by trade, he champions the practical, bottom-up electrification of homes and industries as a direct pathway to harnessing renewable energy efficiently.Founder, Rewiring America; Engineer and Inventor

Glossary

• Carbon FootprintThe total amount of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by a person, organization, or product. It's a way to measure our impact on the environment, mainly from energy use. For example, driving a car a lot, using electricity from power plants that burn fossil fuels, and even buying products that traveled long distances all add to your carbon footprint.
• ConservationThe careful use and protection of natural resources to prevent them from being wasted or destroyed. It's about making sure we have enough resources for the future. For example, turning off lights when you leave a room, taking shorter showers, or recycling paper are all ways to practice conservation of energy and resources.
• Fossil FuelsNatural fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas that formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient plants and animals. They are a major source of energy but are non-renewable. For example, the petrol used in cars is made from oil, which is a fossil fuel. Burning it releases energy but also contributes to air pollution.
• HydropowerEnergy generated by the force of moving water, usually from rivers. Dams are built to control the water flow, which then spins turbines to create electricity. For example, a large dam across a river uses the falling water to spin giant turbines, producing electricity for many cities.
• Non-renewable ResourceA natural resource that exists in fixed amounts and takes millions of years to form, meaning it cannot be replaced or replenished within a human lifetime. Once it's used up, it's gone. For example, coal is a non-renewable resource because it formed from ancient plants over millions of years, and we are burning it much faster than nature can ever make more.
• Renewable ResourceA natural resource that can be replaced or replenished naturally over a relatively short period of time. This means we can use it without it running out, as long as we don't use it faster than it can renew itself. For example, sunlight is a renewable resource because the sun shines every day, and we can use solar panels to turn its energy into electricity.
• Resource DepletionThis happens when we use up natural resources faster than they can be replaced or formed. It means there will be less of that resource available in the future, or it might even run out completely. For example, if too many trees are cut down in a forest without new ones being planted, it leads to resource depletion of timber and can harm the forest ecosystem.
• Solar EnergyEnergy that comes directly from the sun's light and heat. We can capture this energy using special panels (solar panels) and turn it into electricity or use it to heat water. For example, many calculators have a small solar panel that powers them using sunlight, so you don't need batteries.
• Sustainable DevelopmentThis is about meeting the needs of people today without making it harder for future generations to meet their own needs. It means using resources wisely and protecting the environment. For example, a town practicing sustainable development might build bike paths to reduce car use, encourage recycling, and protect local forests so they can be enjoyed by everyone for a long time.
• Wind EnergyEnergy that comes from the movement of air (wind). Large machines called wind turbines capture the wind's power and convert it into electricity. For example, you might see tall wind turbines on hills or near the coast, spinning to generate clean electricity for homes and businesses.

Threads 4

Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Waste, Reuse & Material Loops Environment

  A tonne of dead smartphones actually holds more gold than a tonne of rock dug from a gold mine. So the richest place to find some metals now is a landfill, not a mountain. People call it 'urban mining,' and it means our garbage dumps have quietly become treasure deposits.

• Political Economy Political Science

  A leader who has to tax citizens for money must also listen to them, because people demand a say in return for their cash. But a leader who just pumps oil and sells it gets rich without asking anyone for anything, so they owe the public nothing. 'No taxation' quietly flips into 'no representation,' which is how oil eats away at democracy.

• Armed Conflict & State Fragility Global Risks

  Civil wars tend to break out not where people are angriest, but where there's something worth grabbing, like diamonds, oil, or coca crops to sell. Fighters need money, and lootable stuff pays for guns. So a map of a country's resources predicts violence better than a map of its injustices.

• Power, Authority & Legitimacy Political Science

  Countries floating on oil are often poorer and less free, which sounds backwards. Here's why: a government that gets rich straight from the ground doesn't need to tax its people, and a government that doesn't need your taxes doesn't need to listen to you. The wealth under their feet quietly cuts the leash between rulers and citizens.