English
The industrialized society we live in today has been completely dependent on natural resources like wood, oil, gas and coal for all its energy requirements, over the past few centuries. Oil powers all vehicular movements, on road, air or sea. It is also the primary choice of fuel in large industries. Nuclear, hydro and coal are primarily used to produce electricity. Natural gas is primarily used for heating as is biomass. According to planetforlife.com, in 2008, 83% of the world’s energy requirements were provided by oil, coal and natural gas together. But these limited resources are diminishing with the growth in population and the subsequent rise in consumption. We are headed towards an acute energy crisis. We as citizens of this world have to not only make a concerted effort to stop waste and preserve these natural resources, but also make the use of renewable resources our priority. Renewable resources primarily include solar and wind power.
Energy crisis is a complex and broad term. Ordinary citizens are affected by it when gas prices rise or there are lines at the gas stations. Wikipedia states, “An energy crisis is any great bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply of energy resources to an economy.” But it has a much more far reaching connotation. An understanding of the causes, effects and solutions to this energy crisis will allow for proper steps to be taken to resolve it. This has to be taken on a local level to succeed as a worldwide movement. “The coming era of limited and expensive energy will be very difficult for everyone on Earth but it will be even more difficult if it is not anticipated. It is of utmost importance that the public and especially policymakers understand the global energy crisis and the underlying science.” (planetforlife.com)
There are a number of significant causes for this worldwide energy crisis, primarily overconsumption. Initially it was the consumption in developed nations of the Western world like the US and Europe that put a strain on the fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas and today the developing countries like China and India are adding to that strain on these reserves. This over consumption is also leading to pollution that is affecting human health. Overpopulation is of course responsible for the increasing demand. Poor infrastructure, aging power generating machinery is another reason for the energy crisis leading to power outage and load shedding. Wastage of energy is a significant contributor too. Simple actions like switching off lights and fans when not in use; changing to power saving CFL and LED bulbs can definitely help conserve energy. Natural calamities like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods can disrupt energy supply thus causing a crisis, as can major accidents like a pipeline burst or a coal mining disaster. In the recent past, wars and political problems have contributed to the energy crisis. During the Gulf War in 1990 the price of oil peaked creating a tremendous global shortage.
This overuse of the traditional energy sources has another very disturbing fall out – global warming and climate change. If we are to save our planet from total destruction we must find solutions to the global energy crisis immediately and make a concerted effort right from the grassroots level to conserve energy. Many of the solutions are already in place but they have not been properly adopted. The best option is to move away from traditional energy sources towards sustainable and renewable sources like solar, wind and steam. This new technology has to be shared and governments have to provide support to its citizens, encouraging them to adopt them. Energy saving methods have to replace traditional energy uses, like lighting controls, CFL and LED bulbs in residential and commercial sectors. Corporations and corporates must start using energy simulation software to reduce running energy costs; energy efficient buildings can help reduce carbon footprints. Energy audits can help one identify the areas of energy loss in one’s life and help find ways to stop it and improve energy efficiency. Ultimately all nations across the globe must take a unified stand on climate change. They should make a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse emissions which will naturally put a brake on the use of non renewable energy sources.
“There are many global initiatives that are working towards resolving the energy crisis. This has taken the form of increased regulation and restriction on carbon emissions, the promotion of greener manufacturing and construction projects, the funding of research into hybrid technologies and more sustainable technologies and more” states Rinkesh , a passionate environmentalist in his article What is the Energy Crisis. The world seems to have woken up to this major issue of energy crisis. It is encouraging to note that “Across the world, a growing realization of the impact of energy systems on human health and the environment is shaping urgent discussions about how we can increase standards of living and tackle poverty, in the context of strong growth in the world economy, increasing population and intense urbanization” (Prospect Magazine)
There are efforts being made locally by communities to adopt more sustainable elements in their life; governments are supporting them with subsidies. But these efforts have to become more widespread while there is still time to repair the damage.
Works Cited
Wikipedia. Energy Crisis Retrieved on May 7, 2017 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_crisis
The Global Energy Crisis. Retrieved on May 7, 2016 from
http://planetforlife.com/
Lord Stern. How Do We Solve the World’s Energy Crisis Retrieved on May 7, 2016 from
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/britishacademy/how-do-we-solve-the-worlds-energy-crisis
Rinkesh. Causes and Solutions to the Global Energy Crisis. Retrieved on May 7, 2016 from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-solutions-to-the-global-energy-crisis.php
