Energy and Environmental Photonics

The two vital global issues of the today involves: 1) Creating sustainable energy in which the needs of the present and future can be met. Two fundamental strategies for this include discovering new energy sources and the efficient use of energy consumption. The scope of the former is limited but the latter offers high potential of development. 2) Preserving and restoring balance to the natural environment which is increasingly affected by human activity. The potential beneficiaries include not only the fauna and flora but also humans who are affected by the perturbations to the environment.

The science of photonics, together with complementing methods, offer a variety of methods to help address the issues of energy and the environment.