The word 'sustainability' is frequently misunderstood because there are numerous definitions of sustainability and not even two definitions have converging meanings. Instead of achieving 'sustainability', some of the sustainable development projects aggravate ecological and other problems, as painfully evidenced in numerous experimental projects. This book attempts to improve our understanding of what it means to be sustainable by exploring several different sustainability projects and techniques.
The Future of Petroleum Operations This state-of-the-art text analyzes some of the most contentious issues in the energy industry, covering new and greener processes for engineers and scientists and urging them to move petroleum operations closer to sustainability. Although petroleum is still the world's most diverse, efficient, and abundant energy source, there is a growing initiative from global political and industry leaders to "go green," because of climate concerns and high gasoline prices. This book investigates and details how to do that. This groundbreaking new volume: Explains why current petroleum industry practices are inherently unsustainable and offers unique new solutions for "greening" the petroleum industry Discusses hot-button issues, such as global warming, carbon sequestration, zero-waste management, and sustainability Shows engineers and scientists how to implement the processes necessary to be more environmentally conscious Offers, for the first time, a new theory that certain carbons do not contribute to global warming, but their origin and the processes involved do Praise for The Greening of Petroleum Operations "The book proposes a paradigm shift in energy management. It correctly identifies root causes of environmental impact of current petroleum production operations. With proper science, the book shows that fossil fuel production and utilization are inherently sustainable as long as natural materials and energy sources are used.... This book has the potential of revolutionizing energy management practices." —Farouq Ali, Honorary Professor of Oil and Gas Engineering, University of Calgary
This is the first book to address the issues of affordable power, sustainable energy, and reduced environmental impact through the science of energy pricing. Looking at the availability of natural resources from an engineering perspective, and determining how they can be priced to achieve sustainability in the energy sector, is the aim of this groundbreaking new work. Most current models used in energy pricing are based on linear analyses. While these models work well for targeted scenarios within a short time frame, they do not provide one with a scientific tool that can include many facets of the information age. The existing models do not include environmental sustainability in an integrated fashion. This is mainly because environmental costs are still considered to be intangible, and intractable with conventional economic analysis tools. Though one existing model acknowledges some possible theoretical truth to concerns expressed about the onset of 'peak oil'—the period in which new oil production must begin a decline of unknown and indefinite duration —this model has little or nothing to say about continuing practices in the extraction and production of fossil fuel that are themselves based on denying any significance or role for such thinking in the immediate future. A serious limitation of that discourse is its insistence on polarizing opinions "for" or "against" environmental sustainability, peak oil, and affordable energy prices. This book proceeds instead to isolate the absence of any agreed criteria for what would constitute inherently sustainable development and examines the main outlines of the history and political economy of energy resource exploration and development since the 1850s from this standpoint. It proposes specific directions in which to take some of the leading alternatives and amendments to current energy pricing practices (as well as some of the most promising energy development alternatives) in order to fulfill the time criteria required for an inherently sustainable trend. The author shows how, and why, identifying unsustainable practices and consequences can make a case for closing down particular oil and gas production operations, while averting the time-wasting approach of trying to fix what really has gone beyond fixing. However, it is possible, necessary, and actually far better to replace these methods with newer, scientifically based methods for achieving overall energy sustainability.
Nature thrives on diversity and flexibility, gaining strength from heterogeneity, whereas the quest for homogeneity seems to motivate much of modern engineering. Nature is non-linear and inherently promotes multiplicity of solutions. This new book presents new and original research on true sustainability and technology development.
It has long been recognized that science is the pursuit of knowledge, knowledge is power, and power is political. However, the fantasy of science being apolitical is a hallmark legacy of the enlightenment era, an era that romanticized pursuit of knowledge, disconnected from the baggage of power, politics, and dogmatic assertions. Yet, while the age of information has exponentially increased our access to knowledge, we can see, as clearly as ever, that scientific knowledge is neither apolitical nor dogma-free, and it certainly is not disconnected from power. It is hard to imagine another era when the separation between science and politics has been this blurred as it is today. At the same time, it is true that no other topic than climate change has been so politically charged, with one side dominating the scientific narration and branding anyone opposing the mainstream as a “climate change denier,” and the other standing in staunch defiance that climate change exists. In an age of political and scientific turmoil, how can we navigate out way to coming towards a more objective understanding of the scientific issues surrounding the climate change debate? This book presents the current debate of climate change as scientifically futile, on both sides of the scientific, and often, political, spectrum. The climate change debate has become like obesity, cancer, diabetes or opioid addiction, which is to say that the debate should not be if these maladies exist, but rather, what causes them. Instead of looking for the cause and making adjustments to remove those causes from our lifestyle, a combination of the capitalist drive towards mass production and a lack of identifying the roots of the problems, new solutions, or substitutes, have been proposed as "quick fixes" to the problems. This book identifies the root causes of climate change and shows that climate change is real and it is also preventable, but that it can be reversed only if we stop introducing pollutants in the ensuing greenhouse gases. The book brings back common sense and grounds scientists to the fundamentals of heat and mass transfer, while at the same time disconnecting politicking and hysteria from true scientific analysis of the phenomenon of global climate.
Based on groundbreaking new ideas, this treatise signals a return to a rebuilding and reshaping of the curriculum as the primary tool for education This book presents a new definition of "curriculum" and what it should consist of, with a view toward creating a more ethical, educated, and thinking person. Rather than treating students as "products" for society, this approach returns to a view of the curriculum as a tool for educating students to reason through problems, be bold in creating new solutions, and contribute to a more vibrant, just world. The university curriculum introduced in the post-Renaissance era, dominated by doctrinal philosophy, is based on "learning" or "skill development," suitable for creating a "learned" society that would eventually serve the establishment. This curriculum has been promoted as the only form suitable for the modern education system. It has introduced a tremendous amount of tangible advancement in all fields of the structured education system. These tangible gains are often promoted as "knowledge." This has created confusion between education (acquiring knowledge) and learning, training or skill development. This book seeks to clarify the difference between these two divergent views of education. It has been shown that the current curriculum is not conducive to increasing a student's knowledge because it is based on consolidating preconceived ideas that have been either passed on from previous generations or gained through personal experience. In most cases, this mode of cognition will not create a pathway for gaining knowledge that brings one closer to discovery. The term "education," on the other hand, is always meant to be a process of "bringing forth" one's inherent qualities and unique traits, necessary and sufficient for increasing one's knowledge.
Can "green petroleum" reverse global warming and bring down high gasoline prices? Written in non-technical language for the layperson, this book investigates and details how the oil and gas industry can "go green" with new processes and technologies, thus bringing the world's most important industry closer to environmental and economic sustainability. This book unravels the mysteries of the current energy crisis and argues that solutions to global warming will come only from the development of new technologies. Discussed here are the reasons why petroleum operations, as they are now, are not sustainable; how each practice treads an inherently implosive path; and how each spells irreversible damage to the planet's ecosystem. Fossil fuel consumption is not the culprit; rather, the practices involved, from exploration to refining and processing, are responsible for the current damage to the environment.
Pipelines: Emerging Technologies and Design Criteria, the latest release in the Sustainable Oil and Gas Development series, delivers the tools needed to understand more environmentally-friendly design, construction and maintenance of oil and gas pipelines. Designed to introduce ideal solutions and current state-of-the-art practices, the reference includes guidelines on environmental impact assessment and sustainable route design as well as the sustainability of additives and power systems. Material selection, real-time processing of smart well data and remote sensing are also discussed. Rounded out with inspection tools and emerging technology such as novel corrosion protection, this book gives pipeline engineers a guide on safer alternatives and upcoming guidelines in the race to reduce emissions. - Provides insights to more environmentally-friendly protocols for material selection, construction and integrity - Helps readers determine more accurate protection plans and learn the latest techniques, including nanotechnology and sustainable hydrate and wax mitigation - Presents valuable insights from a well-known author with extensive experience in both academia and industry
This is the first book in the petroleum sector that sheds light on the real obstacles to sustainable development and provides solutions to each problem encountered. Each solution is complete with an economic analysis that clarifies why petroleum operations can continue with even greater profit than before while ensuring that the negative environmental impact is diminished. The new screening tools and models proposed in this book will provide one with proper guidelines to achieve true sustainability in both technology development and management of the petroleum sector.
Co-written by a pioneer of the sustainability movement, this groundbreaking volume offers a new way of thinking about the economics of sustainable energy, a goal that has eluded scientists and economists for decades. Every year, as soon as reports on global economic inequality remind us about the direction our civilization is heading, there is a hysterical reaction, but hysteria dies down within weeks and we go back to the lifestyle that brought us here today. Often the blame is laid on the Millennial generation for their "apathy," "lust for comfort," and "bratty" attitude. Yet, business insider surveys indicate it's the same Millennial generation that overwhelmingly cares for the state of the world and the direction in which our civilization is heading. Nearly 50% of them ranked climate change and destruction of nature as their primary concern. This is followed by concern for war and global conflict, and then global economic inequality. The vast majority of those surveyed are willing and eager to make lifestyle changes. This book breaks open the hypocrisy of our civilization and stops the blame game in its tracks and identifies the root causes of today's world economy, ecology, and global politics. The book demonstrates that changes in lifestyle are necessary but not sufficient. No economic policy or technology development mode has a chance to survive, let alone thrive unless supported by the political establishment. In this process, the government plays a pivotal role. The challenge is to change the attitude of the government from a 'self-serving' controlling mode to a representative philanthropic mode. This new system of economic development and political governance is inspired by a long-forgotten understanding of political economics: medieval Islamic economics. In reviewing the history of economics from trade, currencies, and interest, the strengths and weaknesses of various economic developments over our centuries are evaluated. Based on the historical analysis, a step by step procedure is outlined for this fundamental change in our society today. As a whole, this book is the first in the modern era to offer such a comprehensive analysis, complete with solutions to the entire crisis of today's civilization.
