Abstract Scope |
To attack and, hopefully, to reverse greenhouse gas (GHG) growth, the critical but formidable goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2050 must be reached. This will require major efforts from across our society, especially a “leap of faith” by all the world’s economies. From the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is becoming increasingly apparent that we must do this for the health and well-being of our own children and grandchildren, if we want to help them avoid predictable climate disasters. Therefore, we professionals in the materials science and engineering community must make our best efforts to work on important GHG emission challenges to make the economic leap to green technologies more pragmatic and palatable. Recent analysis shows that there are huge market opportunities that can arrive with clean energy transitions, particularly if several key materials technology barriers are overcome. With solutions to these critical materials problems resulting from research that is supported by enlightened governments and industry leaders, a new global energy economy can emerge quite naturally. This new sustainable economy has the potential to create millions of excellent jobs across a host of new supply chains, along with many more generations of smiling grandchildren! |