人类社会可持续发展面临的主要障碍之一是能源短缺。21世纪中叶,地球上的总人口估计将达到80亿。若按人均用电功率为1千瓦计,全世界将需要80亿千瓦的发电能力。迄今为止,我们发电用的能源绝大部分来自地下的矿物燃料(石油、煤炭和天然气)。这些能源正面临着枯竭的危险,急需寻找新的能源。自然界的水能资源有限,风能不稳定。地热能强度低,均不可能满足未来的大量需求,可 One of the major obstacles to the sustainable development of human society is energy shortages. By the middle of the 21st century, the total population on Earth is estimated to reach 8 billion. If the per capita power consumption of 1 kilowatt dollars, the world will need 80 million kilowatts of generating capacity. To date, most of the energy we use for generating electricity comes from underground fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas). These energy sources are facing the danger of depletion and urgently need to find new sources of energy. Natural water resources are limited, wind instability. Geothermal energy intensity is low, are unlikely to meet the huge demand in the future, may