Earth Systems Science and Engineering
Providing the essential energy and water systems to support human needs while understanding and addressing their environmental consequences is a watershed problem for the 21st century. The LLNL Earth System Science and Engineering Program seeks to provide the scientific understanding and technological expertise to help provide solutions at both global and regional scales. Our work is highly collaborative with universities, laboratories and industrial partners across the world and involves observational data, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations. The energy systems we have enjoyed for the last 100 years have resulted in the advanced standard of living in the developed world and a major emerging problem with climate change. Now we face a simultaneous realization that our reliance on fossil fuels is a source of conflict and economic disruption as well as causing potentially abrupt, even catastrophic global climate change. The climate and energy problem is perhaps the greatest challenge ever faced by mankind. Fossil fuel remains the least expensive and most available source of energy and the basis of our economy. The use of fossil fuels, especially over the last 100 years has led to a 30% increase in CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere. The problem is growing. The population of the Earth will increase by several billion people in the next 50 years. If economic growth is to continue, the demand for energy is estimated to approximately double in the next 50 years so that we will need approximately 10 TW more energy than the 15 TW we use now. Much of this demand will come from the developing world where most of the population growth will occur and where advanced energy technology is not generally used. The problem affects and is affected by a complex system of systems. The climate and energy problem will affect resources, social structure and the probability of increased conflict. No one person, no one nation, no one technology can solve the problem. There is no parallel precedent on which to model a solution. On these grounds, we have chosen to tackle four key tasks: (1) Understanding the natural Earth system and anthropogenic systems examining key forcings and processes driving these systems and the interactions between systems; (2) Identify climate change impacts important to society and develop strategies and technologies to adapt to the climate change that is inevitable given past, current, and potential emissions; (3) Developing strategies and technologies to reduce/eliminate greenhouse gas emissions thereby mitigating climate change while generating energy that is economically and socially viable; and (4) Engaging with appropriate economic, legal, social, and political structures to inform key decisions.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 928198
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-TR-219216; TRN: US200815%%524
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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