Ludi
January 27th, 2006, 09:24 AM
"Energy gap: Crisis for humanity?
By Richard Black
BBC News website environment correspondent
It is perhaps too early to talk of an energy "crisis".
Fossil fuels have been the cheapest and most convenient so far
But take your pick from terms like "serious concern" and "major issue" and you will not be far from the positions which analysts are increasingly adopting.
The reason for their concern can be found in a set of factors which are pulling in glaringly different directions:
Demand for energy, in all its forms, is rising
Supplies of key fuels - notably oil and gas - show signs of decline
Mainstream climate science suggests that reducing greenhouse gas emissions within two decades would be a prudent thing to do
Meanwhile the Earth's population continues to rise, with the majority of its six billion people hankering after a richer lifestyle - which means a greater consumption of energy.
Underlying the growing concern is the relentless pursuit of economic growth, which historically has been tied to energy consumption as closely as a horse is tethered to its cart.
It is a vehicle which cannot continue to speed up indefinitely; it must at some point hit a barrier, of finite supply, unfeasibly high prices or abrupt climate change.
The immediate question is whether the crash comes soon, or whether humanity has time to plan a comfortable way out.
Even if it can, the planning is not necessarily going to be easy, or result in cheap solutions. Every energy source has its downside; there is no free lunch, wherever you look on the menu."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4648710.stm
By Richard Black
BBC News website environment correspondent
It is perhaps too early to talk of an energy "crisis".
Fossil fuels have been the cheapest and most convenient so far
But take your pick from terms like "serious concern" and "major issue" and you will not be far from the positions which analysts are increasingly adopting.
The reason for their concern can be found in a set of factors which are pulling in glaringly different directions:
Demand for energy, in all its forms, is rising
Supplies of key fuels - notably oil and gas - show signs of decline
Mainstream climate science suggests that reducing greenhouse gas emissions within two decades would be a prudent thing to do
Meanwhile the Earth's population continues to rise, with the majority of its six billion people hankering after a richer lifestyle - which means a greater consumption of energy.
Underlying the growing concern is the relentless pursuit of economic growth, which historically has been tied to energy consumption as closely as a horse is tethered to its cart.
It is a vehicle which cannot continue to speed up indefinitely; it must at some point hit a barrier, of finite supply, unfeasibly high prices or abrupt climate change.
The immediate question is whether the crash comes soon, or whether humanity has time to plan a comfortable way out.
Even if it can, the planning is not necessarily going to be easy, or result in cheap solutions. Every energy source has its downside; there is no free lunch, wherever you look on the menu."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4648710.stm