Growth In Energy Use Research Articles

Future energy options, ethics and a case for conservation

Up to 1990 the U.S. must rely upon four major sources for additional energy to meet the expected continued growth in energy use; (1) expanded coal and the associated synthetics fuels derived from it, (2) expanded production of Continental shelf and Alaskan oil and gas, (3) nuclear, and (4) imported petroleum. After 1990 solar and oil shale could play increasingly important roles as additional sources. These major energy options will be compared at a national level in their broad environmental, economic, social, and political implementation impacts. In view of the disadvantages which all of these choices entail, the necessity to continue energy use growth into the indefinite future will be explored with special emphasis on major effects of economic soundness, employment, food supply, national defense, and the emerging social unrest which characterizes the 1970s in the U.S.A. An inevitable conclusion from the preceeding survey urges that a major energy conservation program would be a wise and prudent course for the U.S.A. to follow, with the stipulation that its gradual implementation over something like a 10 year time period is necessary.

Energy use in the U.S. food system.

An investigation into the growth of energy use in the food system is presented. An attempt is made to compare the present food supply system, in energy measures, with those of other societies and with the U. S. past. The energy provided by the sun is omitted in the survey, but the other factors considered are fuel (direct use), electricity, fertilizer, agricultural steel, farm machinery, tractors, irrigation, food processing industry and machinery, paper packaging, glass containers, steel cans and aluminum, transport (fuel), trucks and trailers, commercial refrigeration and cooking, refrigeration machinery (home and Commercial), home refrigeration and cooking. Private delivery by the individual is not included. Energy subsidies for various food crops are shown in various countries and compared with the U. S. food system. In primitive cultures, 5 to 50 food calories were obtained for each calorie of energy invested. Industrialized food systems require 5 to 10 calories to obtain 1 food calorie. An analysis of the energy flow in the food system illustrates features of the food system unrealized in a usual economic analysis. (32 references) (MCW)

Electrical engineering, electric circuits, electrical devices

Cities are a major battlefield in humanity's struggle to save energy and combat climate change. In China, the cities have surpassed the industrial sector and become the largest consumers of energy. This paper explores how the process of urbanisation affected energy use in China 1980–2010. The results of the analyses show that for every 1% increase in the urban population relative to the total population, national energy consumption rose 1.4%, while industrialisation was not significantly associated with the growth of energy use during this period. Urbanisation has increased energy consumption along three main pathways: urban spatial expansion, where urban sprawl has increased energy consumption in new buildings and the transport sector; urban motorisation, which induces energy-intensive transportation; and the rising quality of energy-intensive lifestyles. Urban households consume 50% more energy than rural households per capita, which indicates that continued urbanisation in China will promote the growth of national energy consumption. Urban policies designed to encourage compact urban growth, green buildings and new energy vehicles could thus play a vital role in saving energy. Undoubtedly, the changes in lifestyle and growth of a consumption society and e-Society will bring new challenges to energy-saving policies and climate change mitigation initiatives in China.