A century of energy conversion - an environmental overview

Environmental impacts of energy- related systems were not regarded, before the turn of this century, as factors that could influence human life and welfare. However, the unprecedented rate of development in science and technology that has occurred during this century, and the corresponding increase in energy consumption with all its polluting consequences, has made environmental issues one of the main concerns of decision makers and scientists. This paper introduces a close correlation between energy production and consumption and its environmental impacts in forms like gaseous emissions and ozone layer depletion throughout the 20 th century. It also highlights the main factors that influenced world trends in energy production and the effects on the environment. Trends that are implemented to minimize the burden of energy converters on the environment, specifically in electricity generation and transportation, are also discussed. Renewable energy resources, though not applied globally on large scale yet, offer an attractive alternative for a cleaner electricity.