This section of the reading outlines the effects of climate change on urban energy systems. These effects are divided into three major causes for concern: resource production, power generation, and the distribution of energy. The first of these concerns is, in my opinion, the most straightforward. Gas and Coal operations are often highly susceptible to environmental factors. Not only can the site of the extraction of these resources be delicate in nature, but the means of transporting these recourses to their respective destinations can be easily impeded by climate. This should give incentive for various industries to be more environmentally aware, as global warming is capable of preventing the harmful processes that encourage it. The second cause for concern will be the most immediately apparent if global warming continues unchecked. Power plants and other sites of power generation are of course susceptible to environmental factors, and these plants located on coastal regions need to be prepared for climate change. Having grown up in Japan, I will never forget the events of 3/11/11. a 40 meter tsunami engulfed a coastal power plant and left millions homeless and a massive area of land quarantined. Having worked at affected areas on volunteer missions, I can say with confidence that the effect of a power source being eroded by a natural disaster can be a devastating phenomena. The article states that factors such as wind patterns, temperature changes, and changes in sea level have the potential to shut down sources of power generation. The third concern refers to the literal distribution of this power to urban settings. Things such as power lines, fuel storage sites, and other means of transporting or storing power can be easily effected by climate change. It is clear that energy, the very fabric of our postindustrial modern world, is in the hands of our environment, and therefore in the hands of us. If there was ever a greater incentive than survival to combat climate change it is the effect of climate change on energy.
