Global Energy Problems

General Information  Energy concerns are among the greatest we face  As systems grow more & more complex, the more energy it takes to keep them organized & operating  Increasing levels of energy production & consumption stand out through various technology types:

 Hunters/gatherers  muscle power, energy directly from the environment  Pastoralists  energy levels low, but concentrated in animals  Horticulturists  energy levels, intensity grow, but still low

 Agriculture  larger quantities produced and consumed, but mediated through technology more and more until industrial agriculture, where energy sink starts  Industrialism  huge quantities produced and consumed

 A well-documented tie between energy usage & economic growth (or actually, intensification)  Energy requirements increase at a slower rate than economic output  The decrease in aggregate energy intensity is traced both to increasing energy efficiencies & gradual shifts to less energy intensive economic activities

 Fossil fuels contine to dominate, but there is also a significant absolute expansion in renewable & nuclear primary energy supplies  Dramatic increase in energy demand in developing countries

Stresses PPressure arising from the depletion of fossil fuel resources, including uncertainties of energy price & availability, & geopolitical tension caused by the concentration of oil & gas resources to a few regions of the world

 Substantial barriers to the rapid expansion of nuclear generation due to concerns about cost, safety, radioactive waste disposal and security issues  Constraints on realizing the full engineering potential of hydroelectric facilities due to habitat & ecosystem disturbance

RRisk of significant climatic changes due to increases in global greenhouse gas emissions from energy combustion LLimits on the expansion of traditional fuels & the consequences for the poor & rural environments

IIncreasing local & regional pollution related to energy use, such as increasing oil spills, acid rain, toxic emissions, & local air pollutions

Issues  Compromise social cohesion, stimulate migration, & stress international security systems  Absence of policies to reduce income disparities between and within countries  Poor countries under pressure to export commodities to meet basic needs of people

 Poor countries usually forced to exploit natural land & mineral resources with little regard for the long-term costs in resource depletion & environmental deterioration

Policies are Needed  Environmental costs  reflected in the price of energy as a means for guiding consumption levels & fuel choices  Maximum efficiency standards  set for appliances, lighting, motors & other end- uses  Regulatory process  electric utilities move to integrated, least-cost programs

DDirect subsidies  needed to promote new technologies EEducational/promotional campaigns  induce individuals & enterprises to practice better energy management GGovernment purchasing programs  initial markets for emerging technology

 Research and development  can nurture renewable resource development