Powering the Planet: The Challenge for Science in the 21st Century

15 April 2009

Professor Daniel G. Nocera

The supply of secure, clean, sustainable energy is arguably the most important scientific and technical challenge facing humanity in the 21st century. Rising living standards of a growing world population will cause global energy consumption to increase dramatically over the next half century. Within our lifetimes, energy consumption will increase at least two-fold. This additional energy needed is not attainable from long discussed sources, the global appetite for energy is simply too much. Petroleum-based fuel sources could be increased. However, deleterious consequences resulting from external drivers of economy, the environment, and global security dictate that this energy need be met by renewable and sustainable sources.

Of the possible sustainable and renewable carbon-neutral energy sources, sunlight is preeminent. If photosynthesis can be duplicated outside of the leaf - an artificial photosynthesis if you will - then the sun's energy can be harnessed as a fuel. The combination of water and light from the sun can be used to produce hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be combined with the oxygen in a fuel cell to give back water and energy. This lecture placed the scale of the global energy issue in perspective and then discussed how an artificial photosynthesis to power our planet might be achieved.

This lecture was the 2009 Birch Lecture, presented by the ANU Research School of Chemistry.

Broad Topics: Physical Science

Sub-topics: Chemical Sciences, Environment

Areas: ANU College of Science

Daniel G. Nocera is the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the Massachusetts Institute of technology as Professor of Chemistry in 1997. He was named a College and University Distinguished Professor in 1996 and 1997. He is widely recognised as a leading researcher in renewable energy at the molecular level. Nocera studies the basic mechanisms of energy conversion in biology and chemistry with primary focus in recent years on the photogeneration of hydrogen and oxygen from water. 

Nocera has worked with the President's of five universities to set-up energy initiatives at their institutions. He is currently working with several politicians, artists in the U.S and abroad, actors and producers, and major business leaders in the U.S. to help them develop a position that contributes positively to the energy and sustainability challenge confronting this planet.

Part of the Toyota-ANU Public Lecture Series 2009