Energy and Civilization: Patterns of Consumption

History of Energy Consumption  Biological energy sources In every ecosystem, the sun provides essential energy. Initial energy transfer occurs through photosynthesis. Humans began to exploit additional energy sources (domesticated animals, plants). Energy provided by burning wood, the controlled use of fire, enabled people to cook food, heat living areas, and develop primitive metallurgy. Dense, rapidly growing settlements outstripped wood production. 8 th Century - India; 13 th Century – Europe; 19 th Century - N. America 1890’s – N. America turned to coal.

History of Energy Consumption  Carboniferous period ( million years ago) - warm temperate conditions conducive to large coal deposit formation; first fossil fuel to be extensively used.  Oil and natural gas - formed primarily from one-celled marine organisms.  Industrial Revolution- machines replaced human and animal labor for manufacturing and transportation of goods. Steam engines converted heat energy (potential) into forward motion (kinetic) were central to this transformation; made large scale coal mining possible. Countries or regions without large coal deposits were excluded from the Industrial Revolution.

History of Energy Consumption  Prior to the Industrial Revolution, goods were manufactured on a small scale in private homes.  Expanding factories needed larger labor pools, people congregated around factories and cities. Widespread use of coal in cities resulted in increased levels of air pollution. – Donora, Pennsylvania. 10/26/48 Thick fog enveloped the small industrial town. Unlike usual fogs, it did not burn off as the day progressed. Instead, it stayed on the ground for five days. Twenty people died in Donora and 7,000 were hospitalized with respiratory problems, the result of a weather anomaly that trapped toxic waste emissions from the town's zinc smelting plant close to the ground. The Donora disaster brought air pollution into focus in the United States, and paved the way for the Clean Air Act, enacted in 1963 and strengthened in – London, England – 12/5 -12/9/52. 4,000 people died in London as a result of smog trapped in a thermal inversion (a condition where the air close to the ground is colder than the layer above it, and is therefore unable to rise above it). This incident brought about England's Clean Air Act in  Within 200 years, daily per capita energy consumption of industrialized nations increased eightfold.

History of Energy Consumption Changes in energy sources

History of Energy Consumption  The invention of the automobile greatly increased the demand for oil products.  Automobile industry led to roadway construction. Better roads permitted higher speeds. Higher speeds permitted bigger, faster cars. Bigger, faster cars required better roads. All require more energy.  Convenience of the automobile led to two-car families. Job growth in automobile-related industries. Major role in development of industrialized nations.

History of Energy Consumption  Cars altered people’s lifestyles: Greater vacation travel distances. People live farther from work, leading to urban sprawl and suburbs. Residential labor-saving, energy-consuming devices became essential. Produce - Florida oranges, California lettuces, and Central American bananas in any supermarket in North America. – Energy to process, refrigerate, and transport.

History of Energy Consumption  Initially, natural gas was burned as a waste product at oil wells. Prior to 1940, accounted for less than 10% of energy consumption. During WWII, US built pipelines to transport oil, subsequent to WWII were privatized and some converted to transport natural gas. By 1970, accounted for about 30% of energy needs. Currently, it accounts for 23% of U.S. consumption. Primarily used for home heating and industrial purposes.

How Energy Is Used  Industrialized nations energy use - Residential / commercial uses NA 22% Industrial uses Transportation  Less-developed countries use most energy for residential purposes. Cooking and heating  Developing countries use much of their energy to develop industry. The total amount of energy required in a country’s industrial sector depends on industrial processes in use

How Energy Is Used  North America, 22% of energy - residential 18% of energy - commercial purposes. In Canada, 60% of residential energy is used for heating.  Africa and Asia much of household energy is used for cooking, and comes from wood. Fuel-efficient stoves could reduce energy consumption by 50% Improve health – improved air quality, breathing less wood smoke.

Transportation Energy Uses  Per capita energy use for transportation is high in developing countries and highest in highly developed countries. Specific combination of bus, rail, waterways, and private automobiles is the main factor in determining a country’s energy use for transportation. In countries with high population densities, rail and bus transport are particularly efficient. In North America, government policies have kept energy costs artificially low to support the automobile industry while removing support for bus and rail transport. Private automobiles in North America consume over 40% of world gasoline production.

How Energy Is Used How Americans get to work

Electrical Energy  Electricity is both a way that energy is consumed and a way that it is supplied.  Most electrical energy is produced as a result of burning fossil fuels.  Because electricity is easily transported and its uses are so varied, electricity is a major world energy source. Industrialized nations have 20% of the world’s population, but use 60% of the world’s electricity. Per capita use in North America is 10 times greater than that in less-developed countries.

The Economics and Politics of Energy Use  A direct link exists between economic growth and the availability of inexpensive energy. Most industrial societies want to ensure a continuous supply of affordable energy. The higher the price of energy, the more expensive goods and services become. Subsidies help keep energy costs down.

The Economics and Politics of Energy Use  Automobile fuel efficiency - one area where government policy has had significant impact.  The price of gasoline determined by two factors: Purchasing and processing crude oil Taxes  Gasoline prices differences among countries are a result of taxes, distribution, and government policy toward motor vehicle transportation.

The Economics and Politics of Energy Use  Taxes in the U.S. represent 30% of retail gasoline price. 40% in Canada 60% in Japan and Europe  When we compare the kinds of automobiles driven, we find a direct relationship between the cost of fuel and fuel efficiency.  The average European car driver pays more than twice as much as U.S. and Canadian drivers, and uses 26% less fuel to drive the same distance as a U.S. driver.

The Economics and Politics of Energy Use  Governments often charge road users to help build and repair roads by taxing fuel. Many European countries raise more money from fuel taxes than they spend on building and repairing roads. U.S. only raises 60% of monies needed for roads from fuel taxes. – Low fuel costs in the U.S. encourage more travel, increasing road repair costs.

The Economics and Politics of Energy Use Gasoline taxes and fuel efficiency

Energy Consumption Trends  Over half of world energy consumption is by the 25 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the developed nations of the world. Available Energy Sources – Oil 36% – Coal28% – Natural Gas24% – Nuclear energy, hydropower, solar, wind provide the rest.

Political and Economic Factors  Primary factors determining energy use: Political stability in oil-producing countries Price of oil  During the 1980s, energy costs in North America and Europe declined, and people became less concerned about energy consumption. They used more energy to heat and cool their homes, bought more appliances, and larger cars.

Energy Consumption Trends  Energy consumption behavior of most people is motivated by economics rather than a desire to wisely use energy resources.  Over the past several years, world oil prices have been extremely volatile.