The human society is carved by energy. The plethora of human innovations that we see around credits its existence to our expertise in harnessing energy in various forms.
The Past
The above graph [1] elucidates the pattern in energy consumption by human beings right from their inception:
The Present
The following table [2] gives an insight on the global energy consumption per day:
Some contrasting features:
The Future
Fossils Fuels and Nuclear Fuels are non-renewable and the time will come when they will eventually perish. But how far is that day [1]?
We have sufficient proven reserves of oil and gas to easily last another 50 years. The ongoing shale revolution and technological innovations to extract tight oil has a potential to give it another 100 years. Thanks to the abundance in our coal reserves, the dearth of coal will not be a matter of contemplation in near future.
In my view, it is not the "peak oil" or "wells going dry" that should worry us, it should be the environmental repercussions of using fossil fuels. The failure to inhibit carbon emission would lead the global temperature to surge to such an extent that a positive environmental feedback would trigger. And when we reach that tipping point, it would be too late to react…
Notes
Bibliography
The Past
The above graph [1] elucidates the pattern in energy consumption by human beings right from their inception:
- Primitive - When we used to live a primitive lifestyle 2 million years ago, our energy demands were limited to food.
- Hunter - After we learnt the art of controlling fire, our lifestyle changed and we started spending resources on building shelters for protection and socializing.
- Agriculture - Nearly 10,000 years ago, our burgeoning population and sparse resources led our survival instincts to grow food rather than search for it. This led to the invention of agriculture.
- Tools - As we grasped the art of agriculture, the knack came in with the invention of tools. Contemporarily, agriculture also allowed us to settle down and form civilization. As our society gradually became complex, so started the advent of our energy demand.
- Industrial - Industrial Revolution started with James Watt’s historic invention of Steam Engine. Our insatiable crave for energy shifted our attention to the pockets of chemical energy in the forms of coal, oil and gas.
- Technology – Energy mostly in the form of fossil fuels now occupy the entire spectrum of human desires.
The Present
The following table [2] gives an insight on the global energy consumption per day:
Some contrasting features:
- The average per capita monthly consumption of electricity is around 225 KWh
- 58.21 KWh of energy per capita per day is equivalent to the energy required by an average [c] car to travel 70 km
- Amount of solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is more than 10,000 EJ per day. In contrast to that, our consumption is just 538.98 EJ per annum
The Future
Fossils Fuels and Nuclear Fuels are non-renewable and the time will come when they will eventually perish. But how far is that day [1]?
We have sufficient proven reserves of oil and gas to easily last another 50 years. The ongoing shale revolution and technological innovations to extract tight oil has a potential to give it another 100 years. Thanks to the abundance in our coal reserves, the dearth of coal will not be a matter of contemplation in near future.
In my view, it is not the "peak oil" or "wells going dry" that should worry us, it should be the environmental repercussions of using fossil fuels. The failure to inhibit carbon emission would lead the global temperature to surge to such an extent that a positive environmental feedback would trigger. And when we reach that tipping point, it would be too late to react…
Notes
- Primary Energy refers to the energy sources as found in their natural state. Primary Energy Sources are transformed in energy conversion processes to Secondary Energy Sources which are more convenient forms of energy that can directly be used by us (such as electrical energy or fuels)
- Population = 7046368813
- Average Mileage of a car = 25 miles/gallon of gasoline
- 1 barrel of oil equivalent (boe) = 1.7 MWh
Bibliography