Introduction
Energy Crisis or Opportunity for Action?
Ever since An Inconvenient Truth, the energy crisis has captured the public eye. People are wondering, can global warming cause the seas that dramatically? Do the prices at the pump reflect the Iraq War, greedy oil magnates, a worldwide supply shortage, or the consequences of weather catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina? Is ethanol, solar energy, or nuclear power the answer? How will changes now affect our children in the decades to come?
The "Earth at Night" satellite image on the cover attests to a world dependent on affordable, accessible energy. How do the policy makers and technologists who must plan the world's energy future maintain that state?
Indeed, the single greatest challenge facing our global community may be the need to find a secure energy future. So far this message is mostly questions-questions in a range of contexts; with incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements; and with nearly imperceptible ties to other questions. That is the nature of energy security and what system engineers call a wicked problem. But with time and the right plan of action, such problems are surmountable. It is possible to determine, for example, new energy supply sources, new production technologies, and new ways to transport and distribute fuels. Although perhaps the greatest challenge, it is also possible to work with the legacy systems in place-liquid fuels that support mobility and fossil fuels that optimize centrally generated electricity.
Those who confront a wicked problem must look at all the pieces in concert: They must simultaneously minimize the global climate impact by addressing the escalating amount of carbon in the environment. They must balance the demand for energy to support economic development with the ability to produce cleaner, sustainable energy. They must appreciate that the world energy demand is dynamic and will change its shape once again as emerging nations and regions grow their economies.
This edition of Sigma is dedicated to the idea that complex system and strategy problems can and must be defined in many dimensions and from many perspectives. One-dimensional, single-perspective solutions will no longer suffice. Guest editor Rodney Lay and the other authors first put the overall energy security problem in context and then offer focused perspectives on alternative sources, potential decreases in demand, and production challenges. The edition closes with a special report of the Noblis Corporate Energy Initiative, which compares production life cycles for corn ethanol, cellulosic alcohol, and biodiesel fuels. The work is part of an ongoing project to examine biodiesel's penetration into the existing energy supply.
At Noblis, our charter is to "make systems more effective, people healthier, and our nation more secure." This issue is designed to bring hope and insight in the face of crisis. The articles show that experts are actively exploring solutions to the dimensions of energy security-environment, economics, and equity. It is up to us to arrange those pieces in a recognizable form that allows decisions in the best interests of public welfare.
H. Gilbert Miller, Ph.D.
Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Noblis
hgmiller@noblis.org