ABSTRACT
In 2008, earth’s commercial power systems provided approximately 2250 watts of thermal power per person (2250 Wt/person) to its 6.67 billon people. This totals to approximately 15 terawatts of thermal power (15 TWt = 15 × 1012 Wt = 2250 Wt/person × 6.67 × 109 people). However, they need the equivalent of 6000-7500 Wt/person of sustainable power for sustainable prosperity. So, by 2050, 10 billion people will need approximately 75 TWt of thermal power. Existing power systems are massive and move so much mass as mining wastes, coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, CO2, ash and spent radionuclides, water, air, and other forms that they disrupt and contaminate the biosphere locally and globally and consume 10%–15% of gross world product (GWP) ($40 trillion GWP by year 2000). Both the International Panel on Climate Change and the commercially oriented World Energy Council repeatedly challenge world policy
CONTENTS
10.1 Overview ..................................................................................................... 369 10.2 Global Wealth and Electric Energy ......................................................... 370 10.3 Global Power Challenges .......................................................................... 371
10.3.1 Economic Independence from the Biosphere ............................ 371 10.3.2 Biosphere-Dependent Fossil Fuel Power Systems ..................... 372 10.3.3 Nuclear Fission Reactors ............................................................... 372
10.4 Lunar Solar Power System ........................................................................ 373 10.5 Terrestrial Global Power Systems’ Mass Effectiveness ........................ 377 10.6 Returns from Lunar Solar Power Investment........................................ 379 10.7 Twenty-First Century Power Tools .......................................................... 382 10.8 Moving Forward to 2050 ...........................................................................383 Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................384 Questions for Discussion ...................................................................................384 References ............................................................................................................. 387
makers to enable a new sustainable global commercial power system that provides abundant and affordable electric power. Now, 3 Wt generate approximately 1 We of electric power. The global power system provides an average of 300 We of electric power per person (300 We/person). By 2050, almost all power will be delivered electrically, and 20 to 30 TWe can enable a prosperous world of 10 billion people (20 TWe = 2000 We/person × 10 × 109 people).
