Dark future

• Autores: Hugh Byrd, Steve Matthewman
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2968, 2014, págs. 26-27
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Byrd and Matthewman argue why electrical blackouts that cause disruption to millions are a looming threat to society. Electricity fuels humans' existence. It powers their food, waste, water, transport and communication systems. Modern life is impossible without it. Yet interruptions are inevitable. Electricity systems are complex, high-tech assemblages in which small failures can interact in unanticipated and often incomprehensible ways. They predict that blackouts will occur with greater frequency and greater severity due to trends in both electricity supply and demand. Supply will become increasingly precarious because of the depletion of fossil fuels, neglected infrastructure and the shift toward less reliable renewable energy. Demand, meanwhile, will grow because of rising populations and affluence