Challenges at Energy-Water-Carbon Intersections

Abstract

Energy, water and carbon form the cradle of life itself, and sustain us at every level from the cells of our bodies to ecosystems and economies. Together, energy, water and carbon provide the foundation for the evolutionary emergence of new forms from old ones, not only in living organisms but also in human societies and cultures. New global phenomena are emerging at these intersections. Economic growth has been powered through two centuries by cheap energy based on fossil fuels. This growth has been accompanied by emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are now leading to human-induced climate change. An increasing human population is requiring more water and other natural resources, to the point where demand in many regions is approaching or exceeding the supply from nature. The world is now fully connected not only by trade and information technology, but also by sharing a common planetary home with finite natural resources—realities that will dominate the twenty-first century, as industrialisation dominated the nineteenth and technology the twentieth centuries. This report analyses the implications of energy-water-carbon intersections for Australia. Our focus is upon the intersections between energy for human use, water for human use and carbon as a contributor to human-induced climate change through emissions of CO2 and other GHGs. Energy-water-carbon intersections encompass all the exchanges of energy, water and carbon between societal sectors and natural environments. These exchanges connect stationary energy systems, water systems, land systems and food production, transport systems, built environments, industrial systems, and the ecosystems upon which all these aspects of the human enterprise are based. Intersections between energy, water and carbon arise in multiple ways, involving both supply and demand. On the supply side, energy systems use water; water systems use energy; current energy generation is GHG-intensive; and land uses for food, fibre and energy production all require water. On the demand side, energy consumption and GHG emissions have in the past increased together inexorably as wealth has increased.