Energy Resources: Availability, Management, and Environmental Impacts

The Energy Problem

Energy Resources: Availability, Management, and Environmental Impacts identifies historical increases in demand and a continuing lack of viable management policies for regional and global energy problems. Considering the state and consumption of energy resources on a worldwide level, the authors outline and address three primary issues that they view as growing concerns: the exploitation of current forms of energy, the environmental consequences, and the social and economic ramifications involved.

The initial chapters offer an overview of energy management, providing an introduction to energy, energy-related engineering principles, regulations, energy conservation, and sustainability. The book discusses all energy resource forms from fossil fuels to renewable resources. The authors introduce an energy matrix providing an analytical structure that quantitatively can be used to evaluate resource options and their impacts.

The concluding chapters provide insight into the driving forces that have shaped energy policy to date and the uncertainties that face future policymakers. The book analyzes various aspects of energy management. It poses concerns and offers solutions, including a proposed approach for developing, organizing, and implementing a national energy plan for the U.S.

• Examines the issues involved with energy management
• Explores the best options for achieving energy independence
• Provides quantitative approaches to energy policy development
• Discusses specific structural and analytical approaches to solving energy management problems

The book considers conservation and the development of new, less expensive energy forms, and the impact these can make in slowing growth in demand while fueling efficiency. It analyzes the availability of traditional energy resources and a method of quantifying their energy, economic, and environmental impacts to provide adequate, inexpensive, long-term energy supplies. It also examines the feasibility of solar power, wind, tidal, geothermal, nuclear, and other less traditional sources of energy.

Kenneth Skipka received a BA degree in natural sciences from Long Island University and an MS in meteorology from Cornell University. In 1986 Mr. Skipka, along with three partners, founded RTP Environmental Associates, Inc. (RTP), an environmental consulting firm specializing in air, water, and solid waste issues for a variety of industries, particularly the power industry. He is currently a principal with RTP Environmental Associates, Inc.; owner of the IT Leasing Company; and, a long-standing member of the Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA). He has authored, collaborated on, and/or published numerous books, technical reports, and papers.

Louis Theodore received the degrees of MChE and EngScD from New York University and a BChE from The Cooper Union. Over the past 50 years, Dr. Theodore was a successful educator (holding the rank of full professor of chemical engineering), graduate program director (raising extensive financial support from local industries), researcher, professional innovator, and communicator in the engineering field. He has authored 98 text/reference books, over 100 technical papers, and is the author of the recent CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group risk assessment text Environmental Health and Hazard Risk Assessment: Principles and Calculations.