Energy (original) (raw)
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Role of the Energy in Modern Society
One of the main issues of energy policy is the risk of mismatch between supply and demand. Some countries establish a clear and unambiguous energy policy, while others do not. Nevertheless, each country applies some kind of energy policy. Governmental or intergovernmental bodies can use economic and energy modeling as advisory or analytical tools. Energy policy debates are often dominated by price concerns, which necessitates a transparent public debate on energy costs and prices. It should be noted that energy from renewable sources has very low external costs, which is very different from conventional energies, which pass on to today's society and future generations a significant part of health and environmental costs. Clear and comprehensive information should be publicly available to create a complete picture of the costs and benefits associated with subsidies provided for renewable energy sources, fossil fuels and nuclear energy, including external costs arising from effects on human health and the quality of the environment, such as and the benefits arising from the abolition of imports and from energy security.
Natural resources and challenges The sustainability challenges we are confronted within the built environment are all related to the physical consumption of natural resources: energy, water, materials and top soil i. Extraction and conversion processes lead to depletion and harmful emissions, and as such to challenges in terms of ecology, economy and equity ii. The Matrix of Figure 1 depicts biodiversity, health effects and climate change as the most relevant ecological challenges we are confronted with, whereas scarcity of materials and natural resources is seen as primary economic challenges. In terms of equity, the unfair distribution of resources or the deliberate dumping of our toxic waste in countries with little regulations, stand out. Figure 1: Matrix Resources-Values iii Nearly Zero Energy? Energy has been the most popular studied resource, as we were – and are – confronted with the limitations of our fossil fuel dependency as well as its related sensitivity to price fluctuations and geo-political interests. Subsequently, we are unpleasantly surprised by global climate change as a – highly likely – consequence of our large-scale fossil fuel driven economy. Thus far, solutions were sought in terms of: reduction of consumption, replacement by renewable sources and improvement of efficiencies i.e. steps we know as the 'Trias Energetica'. The focus has gradually evolved from energy reduction via low energy buildings to 'nearly zero energy buildings'. This approach aims at minimizing the negative aspects of building and living, instead of maximizing its potential positive aspects, and is as such hardly sustainable. i Top Soil being the top few centimeters of fertile soil of which most of our food production depends. ii Equity in social context, like fairness. iii This matrix relates four natural resources to three value areas in our society: Ecology, Economy and Equity. Examples of non-sustainable developments are given as well as possible solutions. It can be used to structure discussions on sustainability ambitions.
Energy Use and its Economic and Social Impact
Journal of Ecological Society
Energy use has a significant impact on the environment, economy, and society. The correlation between increased energy use and development has led to excessive energy use and waste. Energy use leads to a vicious circle of increasing natural resource consumption and waste. Much of the energy used in energy production goes towards the manufacturing and installation of energy infrastructure and creates pollution and habitat destruction. A significant amount of energy is wasted in the conversion, transmission, and distribution process. The challenge is to minimize energy losses and waste by using the right form of energy for the right application and understanding the outcome of energy use.