Carbon vs Water
Energy’s Thirst for Water Challenges Carbon Debate

Our recent report, “Global Energy: Unshackling Carbon from Water” represents the most comprehensive analysis to date of how well conventional and alternative energy sources balance their CO2 and water intensity. Among its many insights is the observation that many new energy sources and extraction methods reduce carbon intensity, but often at the cost of increased water usage.

The above graphic, taken from the report, underscores that all fuels require some carbon-intensive energy and water inputs for extraction and processing. Furthermore, they all release carbon into the atmosphere when burned.

However, the relationship between water intensity and carbon intensity varies by fuel type. Conventional fossil fuels contribute a large percentage of global carbon emissions, but are historically cheap and plentiful. As these resources run thin, new extraction technologies tend to increase either their carbon or water footprint – and sometimes both. Exploring the impact of both traditional and emerging fuels, we found:

• Crude oil, diesel and gasoline are carbon-intensive but don’t require much water
• Alternative fossil fuel sources, such as shale bed natural gas, coal to liquids and bitumen from tar sands perform worse on carbon, water or both
• Renewable fuels also have their demons, specifically biofuels derived from crops and other forms of biomass, which have low carbon impact but exact a much greater demand for water

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