381
© The Ecological Society of America wwwwww.
.
ffrroonnttiieerrssiinneeccoollooggyy.
.
oorrgg
The energy demands of modern societies are steadily
increasing.
Today, much of this demand is satisfied
by fossil fuels, such as gas, oil, and coal, energy...
More
381
© The Ecological Society of America wwwwww.
.
ffrroonnttiieerrssiinneeccoollooggyy.
.
oorrgg
The energy demands of modern societies are steadily
increasing.
Today, much of this demand is satisfied
by fossil fuels, such as gas, oil, and coal, energy resources
that are not renewable, and which will eventually be
exhausted.
The first glimpse of the energy crisis to come
has been the price increases at the gas station.
Additional
concerns include the dependence on regionally concentrated supplies and related international conflicts, and
the emission of greenhouse gases associated with the use
of fossil fuels (IPCC 2001).
There is ample evidence to
show that the Earth is warming due to anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gases, with climatic consequences including desertification, a rise in ocean levels,
and increased numbers of hurricanes (IPCC 2001).
In addition to urgently needed energy conservation,
alternative forms of energy are required to decrease
dependence on fossil fue
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