Clark Bricker speaks
World ponders energy problem
How the world will meet its energy needs in the 21st Century is an unanswerable question, said Clark Bricker, professor of chemistry, yesterday as he spoke to the SUA Last Lecture Forum.
Energy rapidly is being utilized by a growing human populace, and this use is decreasing the supply of available natural energy materials. Bricker said.
"I don't know the answer to this problem," he said. "Thousands of scientists are working almost continuously on a solution."
The major difficulty confronting science is the ever-increasing population. Now, the world figure is 3.3 billion, and in 100 years it is expected to double.
"Fortunately, man won't experience a food shortage." Bricker said. "In fact, according to Harrison and Brown, enough food potential exists in the world to feed 50 billion people—a figure not to be reached for 350 years."
How about water?
Bricker reports that people will have to learn how to re-use water through chemical cleansing methods now being developed.
Another key to this problem is
the conversion of salt water into a drinkable form. An inexpensive process of conversion soon may be in the offing.
Fuel poses another perplexing problem. Last year the United States mined 500 million tons of coal which, Bricker said, is enough to lay four, six-lane highways from San Francisco to New York.
Natural gas supply would seem almost inexhaustible since officials believe there are 276 trillion cubic feet left within the earth. However, at the present rate of usage, the supply will last only 18 years.
A possible solution lies in nuclear fusion with which man hopes to produce 300 gallons of gas from one gallon of water.
"Through nuclear fusion, I see a possible answer to the impending energy shortage," he said. "But this process is extremely impractical now; only the future hold the answer."
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Daily Kansan Friday, April 21, 1967
The University Theatre
in cooperation with
The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts
presents
by
Wolfgang A. Mozart
April 21, 22, 28. and 30
8:20 p.m.
University Theatre
Tickets available at the Box Office
317 Murphy Hall