Since the 1950s, the energy consumption of the planet has increased dramatically, which has led to such rapid generation of carbon emissions that climate change remains one of the biggest threats facing the planet today.
Whilst potential solutions to this lingering threat are being thought of constantly, including ways that we can reuse material, how to reduce the planets carbon footprint and the constant development of environmentally friendly technology such as that being made by Renovare Fuels, many still wonder why there has been such a huge increase in energy consumption. Below are some of the reasons why there has been such huge demand for energy in the past 7 decades.
The Development of the Economy
As our economy continues to develop, so too does our demand for energy. Higher Income Countries, such as the USA and Australia, are some of the most energy dependant countries in the world. There are a number of factors that come into play when determining why they use so much, which include:
- Agriculture
Once countries become more developed, the demand for food increases and in order to keep up with this demand, more intensive farming techniques are used. These methods often use machines, which rely on energy to power them. Not only is machinery required but so is intense lighting and heating.
After it’s production, food then needs to be processed, manufactured and transported, which all again come with incredibly high energy demands. There is a clear parallel between energy consumption and a country’s agriculture shifting from subsistence to commercial farming.
- Industry
Due to rapid industrialisation, there has been a huge development in manufacturing and processing industries. Newly emerging economies (NEEs) such as those in Brazil, Nigeria and China lead to industrialisation, which in turn leads to larger energy consumption.
- Transport
With NEEs comes improvements in living standards. This can be seen all over the world and as it does, car ownership has continuously grown. Though there are advancements being made in the development of electric cars, we are at the point where they are the exception, not the rule. As such, an increase in car ownership mirrors increases in energy demands.
Even once all cars produced are electric, fuel will still be required for the mining of lithium which will be used for the batteries. One of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions as a result of transport would be to create liquid fuel from other sources. Renovare fuels are currently developing technology which allows for the conversion of biogas into fuel, this would have incredible environmental impacts as biogas is produced from landfills, anaerobic digesters and sewage.
- Urbanisation
As more people move to urban areas, there becomes an increased demand for cooking, domestic and lighting appliances. In the near future, this will begin to affect the demands on energy in parts of Asia and Africa.
- Wealth
With a boom in economy, people become wealthier, and as this happens their demand for energy grows due to the routine purchase of appliances for domestic, leisure and recreational activities.
A Rise in The Population
Not only do the demands for energy increase because of appliances being used more frequently; however, the population of the people using them has increased also. According to the Pew Research Centre, from 1950 to 2010, the world’s population increased dramatically from 2.5 billion to 6.9 billion. This is an overall growth of 174%.
Technology
Though a lot of technological advancements bring forth positive changes to the environment, there are a lot of others that have had a negative impact. This is because these developments paved the way for the exploitation of fossil fuels.
Though renewable energy is being more widely used, it comes with its own issues, in that it is incredibly expensive and so a lot of Low-Income Countries are unable to implement it.
Conclusion
Given the above factors, there is no surprise that over the past 70 years we have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for energy. Now that we have an understanding in what is causing it, countries from all over the world are trying to adapt and live in a more environmentally friendly way. Additionally, strides are being made in technology daily which should help pave the way for a greener future.
Author bio – Renovare fuels design, manufacture and market ground-breaking eco-friendly technology that converts biogas into liquid fuel. Thanks to its team of world leading chemical engineers, Renovare fuels are actively making the world a greener place to live. Find out more about them here.
About Duncan Clark
Duncan Clark has a wide range of business interests; however, these extend primarily across the clean technology and clean energy sectors. His work at Renovare Fuels Limited, of which he has been Director of Business since 2018, reflects this.