A Theoretical Study of the Sustainable Use of Biomass Energy by Rural Households in China

Abstract

Biomass energy is an important component of household energy consumption in rural areas of China. However, under current exploitation levels, the energy source is beset with both theoretical and practical challenges, and its sustainable utilization is seriously restricted. One key to solving this problem is the establishment of a theoretical framework for the sustainable use of biomass energy by rural households. Based on the new viewpoint that biomass energy is a type of ‘weakly’ renewable energy, this paper provides the first theoretical basis outlining the sustainable use of biomass energy in rural households, including systems theory, the theory of ecological carrying capacity, the utility theory, the theory of ecological economics and the theory of natural resource values. The relationships among these theories are also discussed. In addition, four conditions governing the theoretical sustainable use of biomass energy by rural households are analyzed: the sustainability of the resource supply, the sustainability of biomass energy production, the sustainability of consumer acceptance, and the sustainability of ecological environmental effects.