ACADEMY
PUBLICATIONS
21 April 2016
Technology and climate change: several solutions to mitigate the effects and to adapt
The fight against the adverse effects of climate change has become a civilization issue, as much as is the objective to seek ‘peace on Earth’. Thus, measures to ensure reduced GHG emissions and to allow for preventive adaptations are necessary as of now. The areas concerned are numerous: agriculture and forests, energy, urbanism and transportation, industrial sectors, coast-line preservation, qualitative and quantitative supplies of drinking water, new manufacturing modes and shared economies, lean and adaptive management of Earth’s resources and their utilizations … It is primordial, henceforward, to shift to a more intense level the actions engaged to date and […]
04 December 2015
Energy and carbon prints effects of ICTs on energy consumption round the world
What is the impact of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) on the energy consumption levels of Society today and what are the Greenhouse Gas emissions from the ICT domain as a whole? The National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) conducted hearings of numerous French and non-French experts to assess the energy and environmental balance ‘well-to-wheel’ due to the sole ICT sector, taking into consideration the impacts of operating the various apparatus and infrastructures and the energy and carbon print savings generated in other associate sectors. The net energy and carbon balance, concludes the Academic Report* turns out be clearly […]
10 November 2015
Technology and climate change several solutions to mitigate the effects and to adapt
Advice Note adopted by vote by the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) in Plenary session, November 4, 2015 Ever since the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) was established [2000], it has dealt with the relationships – in its academic reports, advice notes and recommendations – between technology and the economic, social and environmental impacts due to the deployment of human activities. The COP21 conference is an important milestone is the framing of a global policy in the area of climate change, but certainly will not spell the end of a process that will continue for numerous […]
24 September 2015
What is the future for aeronautical bio-fuels?
In a joint Report, the French Air and Space Academy (FASA) and the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) provide a state-of-the-art both technically and from a global regulatory standpoint for aeronautical bio-fuels with a specific focus on French achievements in this field and a technological road-map as to the possible future for the development of biofuels. Continuous growth of air traffic figures – the forecast is a doubling of traffic between 2030 and 2050 – has led air companies to seek ways and means to reduce the impact of aviation of climate change, in a context with rarefaction […]
10 June 2015
Academic advice note on the law “an energy transition for green growth”
Advice Note adopted by vote at the NATF Plenary session June 10, 2015 As a complement to the contribution published by the Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) to the draft law hearings, and without changing the numbered analyses, several positions appertaining to the final law as framed for the Parliamentary votes were drafted at the NATF and merit being added to the dossier. 1. There is need to seek economic optimization: the triple priority in favour of “green growth” calls for “a fight against climate change”, “to reduce unemployment” and to “reduce the energy bill for France”. It is […]
08 January 2015
Methane (CH4): where it comes from and its impact on our climate
In a recently published Academic Report, the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) tentatively answers some questions arising from the observed, constant increase of methane released into the Earth’s atmosphere. How are the various geographic source locations identified? How does one measure the global increase of CH4 in the atmosphere? What criteria can be evoked to consider reducing these emissions? Should we prioritize and commit efforts to reduce CH4 or CO2 both of which contribute to man-made climate warming? Although methane gas (CH4) has a far lower concentration in the earth’s atmosphere than CO2, it is, to a large […]
01 March 2014
First contribution to the Energy Transition National Debate. EDP Sciences, 2014
Production and utilisation of energy round the world are changing, due to a combination of forces. Some of these changes are imposed (redistribution of energy needs and the Earth’s resources, measures that anticipate the depletion of fossil fuel sources); others are vountarily implemented (the search for energy autonomy, the fight against global warming and climate change, industrial competition). France has launched a nation-wide debate on possible future policies in these areas. The National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) — in its endeavours to gain the widest consensus possible on these thematics — sets out the technical data that will hopefully modulate the Government’s strategies up to […]
01 March 2014
Large Socio-Technical Systems. EDP Sciences, 2014
Large scale Socio-Technical Systems (LSTSs) operating over networks (such as the electricity system , the railways , the airspace system , Internet…) have radically changed our daily lives over the past few decades and also transformed the way our Societies work . They represent a phenomenon that is conducive to enthusiasm , which contributes to the democratization process of societies everywhere, offering new features and services over the coming years , consequences and sources of new techniques and technologies : in this light , LSTSs appeared as a natural field for investigation by our Academy . They have undergone considerable […]
14 February 2012
Energy vectors: Permanent guide-lines for future energy procurement decisions. Ed. Le Manuscrit, Paris, 2012
14/02/2012 In French but soon in English under the title: Energy vectors: Permanent guide-lines for future energy procurement decisions Ed. Le Manuscrit, Paris, 2012 Faced with major structuring decisions that must be taken by Society in respect to policy choices for future energy procurement, the NATF publishes a set of permanent guide-lines for these choices, based on a new energy paradigm that, between supply and demand …
01 February 2010
Bio-fuels
Bio-fuels An Academic Communication by the Standing Committee on Energy and Climate Change – Feb. 2010 01/02/2010 In a context where it is obvious that there will be a gradual rarefaction of fossil fuels, and hence a increased price for the fuels, biotechnologies present a dual advantage, that of renewable sources of production and a net gain in energy. Moreover, given the vegetable origins of the fuels, bio-fuels lead to a clear reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in comparison with equivalent fossil energy products. France’s Government has committed itself to a voluntarism stance since the outset of the […]