A recent study by Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford.

Jacobson has conducted the first quantitative, scientific evaluation of the proposed, major, energy-related solutions by assessing not only their potential for delivering energy for electricity and vehicles, but also their impacts on global warming, human health, energy security, water supply, space requirements, wildlife, water pollution, reliability and sustainability. His findings indicate that the options that are getting the most attention are between 25 to 1,000 times more polluting than the best available options.

Energy and vehicle options, from best to worst, according to Jacobson’s calculations:

Best to worst electric power sources:

1. wind power
2. concentrated solar power (CSP)
3. geothermal power
4. tidal power
5. solar photovoltaics (PV)
6. wave power
7. hydroelectric power
8. a tie between nuclear power and coal with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

Best to worst vehicle options:

1. Wind-BEVs (battery electric vehicles)
2. wind-HFCVs (hydrogen fuel cell vehicles)
3. CSP-BEVs
4. geothermal-BEVs
5. tidal-BEVs
6. solar PV-BEVs
7. Wave-BEVs
8. hydroelectric-BEVs
9. a tie between nuclear-BEVs and coal-CCS-BEVs
10. coal-CCS-BEVs (tied with nuclear-BEVs)
11. corn-E85
12. cellulosic-E85
    

Original Article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171908.htm

Adapted from materials provided by Stanford University..