Publisher's Synopsis
Growth of human civilization is directly connected with ability of the mankind to utilize energy. In the past five thousand years, human energy consumption per capita has risen from 9 to 230 kWh/ day (Babay et al., 2009). Mankind witnessed a new era rapid growth and development in 1700 AD, after the invention of steam engine which revolutionized the method of mobility of man, paving the way for industrial revolution. Invention of combustion engine in 1870 AD was followed by swift paced growth in world economy. Unfortunately, these two greatest inventions were depended on consumption of fossil fuel which overwhelmed the world with such a fast and extensive level that, within a couple of the centuries, the mankind's door was knocked by the biggest challenges of the present: climate change and global warming, ozone depletion, environmental pollution etc. Today, the most of the energy comes from burning fossil fuels. More than 80% of the world's energy is obtained by combustion of fossil fuels while 16% comes from nuclear energy and rest of 4% is provided by hydro, wind, solar energy etc (Babay et al., 2009). The atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased from a pre-industrial era value of about 280 ppm to a value of 379 ppm in 2005 primarily due to fossil fuel uses (IPCC, 2007). The IPCC has projected that throughout the 21st century, climate-change impacts will slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult. This will result in further erosion of food security by prolonging the existing and creating new poverty traps (Anekwe, 2014). Moreover, it is estimated that present oil and coal reserves will sustain only up to 50 years and 250 years respectively (Kalogirou, 2004).
