Environmental Management
12.1 Sustainable Energy Resources
There is a marked energy gap between the rich and poor nations in the
world
- Nearly a third of the world’s people – those living in low income
countries – have no electricity or other modern energy supplies and
depend almost entirely on wood or other biomass
- In HICs oil provides the bedrock for modern life. 90% of transport
relies on oil products and they are vital components in the
pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. The HICs (17% of
world’s population) consume around 75% of the 3 major fossil fuels
and consume 53% of the total energy while LICs (83% of the world’s
population) consume 47%
Projections
- The international energy agency predict that the earth will need
almost 60% more energy in 2030 than in 2002, and that fossil fuel
will still meet most of these needs. Although there is plenty of coal,
it is not likely to grow in popularity because its so polluting
- Oil industry experts predict that current reserves will last for another
40 years and 65 years for gas
Terms
- Demand: consumer’s desire and willingness to pay a price for a
specific good or services
- Supply: amount of something supplied or available for use
- Resource endowment: natural resources within the borders of a
country
- Technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical
purposes
- Energy gap: improvement potential of energy efficiency or the
difference between optimal and actual level of energy consumption
Context
- Globally, energy supplies are distributed unevenly. This means that
energy sources are often long distances from the point of
consumption
- In the modern world, fuel often travels vast distances to reach its
consumers. These distances create many challenges, from the
environment risks of long-distance pipelines to oil related problems
linked to political instability in the middle east
- Fossil fuels are not present in great quantities in LICs
12.1 Sustainable Energy Resources
There is a marked energy gap between the rich and poor nations in the
world
- Nearly a third of the world’s people – those living in low income
countries – have no electricity or other modern energy supplies and
depend almost entirely on wood or other biomass
- In HICs oil provides the bedrock for modern life. 90% of transport
relies on oil products and they are vital components in the
pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. The HICs (17% of
world’s population) consume around 75% of the 3 major fossil fuels
and consume 53% of the total energy while LICs (83% of the world’s
population) consume 47%
Projections
- The international energy agency predict that the earth will need
almost 60% more energy in 2030 than in 2002, and that fossil fuel
will still meet most of these needs. Although there is plenty of coal,
it is not likely to grow in popularity because its so polluting
- Oil industry experts predict that current reserves will last for another
40 years and 65 years for gas
Terms
- Demand: consumer’s desire and willingness to pay a price for a
specific good or services
- Supply: amount of something supplied or available for use
- Resource endowment: natural resources within the borders of a
country
- Technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical
purposes
- Energy gap: improvement potential of energy efficiency or the
difference between optimal and actual level of energy consumption
Context
- Globally, energy supplies are distributed unevenly. This means that
energy sources are often long distances from the point of
consumption
- In the modern world, fuel often travels vast distances to reach its
consumers. These distances create many challenges, from the
environment risks of long-distance pipelines to oil related problems
linked to political instability in the middle east
- Fossil fuels are not present in great quantities in LICs
