I was proud to be involved with getting Doug Lightfoot over from Canada and pleased that he was a great hit at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London on March 12th, when he presented his famous "Nobody's Fuel" lecture.
250 people heard Doug explain, very simply and clearly, that from a practical scientific perspective, that there are currently no viable substitutes for fossil fuel on the scale required by society. He emphasized how important energy is to human welfare and why energy efficiency and conservation will not limit atmospheric carbon dioxide. “Nobody's Fuel” provided a practical science-based analysis of renewable energy (e.g., wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal power) showing how it is woefully inadequate to meet our current and future energy needs.
Nobody's Fuel was not a doomsday scenario: instead it recommended where action and research initiatives must focus in order to develop a viable carbon-free form of energy. With 85% of world energy currently supplied by fossil fuels, it is clear that solutions must not only mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide but secure a predictable and affordable fuel supply.
The lecture was presented at the main Lecture Theatre at the IET's Savoy Place.
