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The Material Limits of Energy Transition: Thanatia

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. Alicia Valero

    1. Instituto CIRCE, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

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  2. Antonio Valero

    1. Instituto CIRCE, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

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  3. Guiomar Calvo

    1. Instituto CIRCE, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

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  • Provides a holistic view of raw mineral depletion in the context of renewable energy transistion

  • Compares the demand for resources to the amount available in a data-driven way

  • Offers solutions to avoid becoming Thanatia

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxiv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. What Is This Book About?

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 1-12

  3. The Mineral Voracity of Human Beings

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 13-32

  4. On the Availability of Resources on Earth

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 33-66

  5. The (Thermodynamic) Value of Scarcity

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 67-118

  6. Thermodynamic Assessment of the Loss of Mineral Wealth

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 119-146

  7. Material Limits of the Energy Transition

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 147-187

  8. The Hidden Cost of Technologies

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 189-205

  9. Looking into the Future

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 207-242

  10. Epilogue: For a New Humanism that Cares About the Future of the Planet

    • Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo
    Pages 243-253
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Keywords

About this book

Earth has become a huge mine, with a greater quantity and variety of fundamental mineral resources being extracted year after year. Technology, from electric cars to everyday electrical equipment, consume vast amounts of scarce raw materials. On a planet with limited resources, are these minerals being properly assessed? Will there be enough raw materials to meet the demand of a world population on track to reach 10 billion people? What will be the consequences of accelerated resource depredation? Will the planet one day become 'Thanatia', a resource-exhausted Earth?

This book allows readers to understand the mineral heritage of the Earth, considering the demand for raw materials in society, comparing it with the availability of resources on Earth and the impact of mining.  The basics of physical geonomics are exlpained, allowing readers to analyse the loss of mineral resources on the planet. The impact of renewable energies and technologies, including electric vehicles, are studied. The book concludes with possible solutions to mineral depletion, from increasing recycling rates, ecodesign measures or alternative sources of mineral resources.

Providing numerous tables and illustrations, 'The Material Limits of Energy Transition: Thanatia' gives readers a thorough understanding of mineral depletion. Exploring geology, geochemistry, mining, metallurgy, the environment and thermodynamics, this is a truly holistic book.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Instituto CIRCE, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Alicia Valero, Antonio Valero, Guiomar Calvo

About the authors

Dr Alicia Valero is Director of the Industrial Ecology Group of the CIRCE Institute and Associate Professor of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Zaragoza. She has had a successful research career in
the topics addressed in this book, related to the exergy evaluation of mineral resource depletion, among others.

Professor Antonio Valero is Chair in Thermal Systems at University of Zaragoza since 1986 and Founder of the Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption, (CIRCE). He is full Member of the Club of Rome Intl. and
ASME Fellow. He is a main contributor of thermoeconomics —general theory of exergy saving, diagnosis of complex energy plants —and exergoecology, applied to evaluate the exergy of resources of the earth, from which Thanatia is derived. He is Winner of the ASME James Harry Potter Gold Medal Award’96, among many other distinctions.

Dr. Guiomar Calvo is Geologist with extensive experience on the subject, providing a necessary counterpoint by combining engineering with geology.

The authors have published numerous scientific articles and books, receiving several international Best Paper awards. They have participated in conferences and talks, for which they have a broad career and an outstanding reputation in their respective fields of study.



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