Other studies have been completed that suggest evidence against an Environmental Kuznets Curve. It is safe to say that a nation with environmental regulations is a nation that is more developed and has higher income per capita, such that they can spare growth for protection of the environment. A nation that is less developed can’t make the sacrifice for the protection of the environment and must focus solely on economic growth.
In this paper the three laws of thermodynamics will be explained and how these laws apply to energy use, energy conversions, and the need for energy efficiency. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of energy types including fossil fuels, nuclear energy, solar energy, wind power, water (hydro) power, and biofuel will be described. In order to combat our growing energy problems the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law to help create tax incentives and loans for conservation and use of alternative fuels. Two provisions of the Act, promotion of US nuclear construction and the addition of ocean energy sources will be described and how these provisions can help the United States meet energy use goals.
The International Energy Outlook 2013 predicts that the biggest future increase in world energy use will be caused by Non-OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, while the energy use within the OECD countries will stay generally stable as it has for the past decades which can be observed in figure 1 (EIA 2015). The OECD countries are experiencing a growth rate of about 0.5% which roughly equates their population growth (EIA 2015). The energy use in non-OECD countries is estimated to increases with an annual rate of 2.2% which would mean they make up for 65% of the world’s primary energy demand in 2040 (EIA 2015).
The 21st century can be named as the energy century because the global consumption of energy is ever expanding and our ever increasing consumption of energy has led to serious environmental problems. For instance Global warming is majorly attributed to our high energy intake. So, if we continue with this irresponsible pattern of energy consumption, our future will no longer be sustainable. Hence, managing and optimizing all the available resources has become a necessity when all the available resources is beginning to drain out rapidly. Laws governing all the natural resources both renewable and non-renewable resources has a major say in how people make use of the energy available. Government plays a major role in framing these policies. Therefore, it is important that the regulating bodies are pro-active and should vision out the future before making any provisions.
Economic growth and the use of environmental resources go hand in hand. No country or economy will be able to sustain economic growth without using the natural resources available in the environment. The constant need for resources is the fuel for economic growth and any country going through a heightened level of economic activity tends to use more resources from the environment.
Broadly speaking, friendly sources of energy have less amount of pollution compared to our current sources. In fact, by expanding studies in the area of research and development can definitely revolutionize our way of living. To elucidate on, clean fuels can solve the problems related to the natural places like forests and help animals from dearth. Additionally, it also can be a wisdom solution regarding the air and water pollution by large firms. Ergo, by taking prudent measure in the matter, we readily will solve baffling issues and reach the zenith in our life. This issue is pinpointed when we glance at the advanced societies that currently use the clean energies. To illustrate what was stated above, a vivid example is put forth. In a research among different countries in diverse positions, it was mentioned that countries which spend much more money on study and development of natural sources as fuels have a higher rate of growth in healthier society and environment, as a
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) preliminary estimate of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2015 reveals that emissions stayed flat compared with the year before, whereas the global economy grew (3). The IEA noted that “There have been only four periods in the past 40 years in which CO2 emission levels were flat or fell compared with the previous year, with three of those—the early 1980s, 1992, and 2009—being associated with global economic weakness. By contrast, the recent halt in emissions growth comes in a period of economic growth.”
Wilson asserts, “No one should look to GNPs and corporate annual reports for a competent projection of the world’s long-term economic future.” In other words, the Gross National Product (GNP) and corporations will not accurately depict the long-term economic future, due to the lack of environmental factors that if implemented would surely fluctuate the projections. Furthermore, the more reliable sources are from research reports from the natural-resource specialists and ecological economists that provide an accurate representation of the financial and environmental future. In addition, the environmental experts factor in the imperil that is posed to the environment while expanding the economy. Thus, the idealistic balance between the environment and economy will not be found in the GNP reports, but in the ecological economist reports that can veritably attest to both sides of the political spectrum. On a national scale, converting to renewable energy is not prioritized, due to the fact the fossil fuel industry has an abundant of sizable investments. So, reasonably an annual national report would be in favor of the large corporations, such as the fossil fuel industry. As a result, the projections for the economic-future with fossil fuel as our main energy source is one-sided and
Because the energy technology that society employs directly influences the quantity and quality of life, the energy option that is chosen should have the greatest cost- benefit effectiveness as well as maximizing flexibility and purchases. However, those who believe in continuous energy consumption growth, seem to forget that there is only a limited supply of energy in every energy system, and to "overdo" any resource may provide for an unacceptable impact upon global and regional ecology.
While industrialization has been strongly associated with greenhouse gas emissions, it is premature, however, to conclude that economic growth is the independent factor responsible to climate change. Neumayer (1998) contended that there is no sound scientific evidence documenting consequences of economic development on the environmental degradation in the long term (p. 4). There is also no linear association between economic growth and environmental deterioration, as maintained by Ferguson et al. (1996, p. 28) that the existing evidence “cannot be used to justify a view that economic growth (…) will automatically be good or bad for the environment” (cited in Neumayer 1998, p. 16).
Important advantages of Resources on the Earth are limited.That the way we behave now does not make life difficult or impossible for future generations.To achieve sustainable development,we need to carefully consider the need for economic development,where standards of living improve
Many of the elements in general planning interconnect, for example as just explained ineffective land-use can directly and adversely contribute to the environmental element of planning. If one was to try to summarize environmental planning with two words they would be sustainability and waste management; when people talk about sustainability they are typically referring to sustainable energy; energy that does not hinder the lives of future generations. Developed countries are entering a progressive era which requires the use of renewable energy and sustainable growth, as CO¬2 levels sour past the 400PPM range--meanwhile corporations are lobbying for the right to continue polluting our air and water supply, it has become evident that the demand for sustainable energy is higher than ever.
There is a great understandable hunger for energy in the world. Increases uses of energy are strongly correlated with the gross domestic product
Energy consumption is bound tightly with our daily life especially when we try to maintain our high quality of life (Panwar, Kaushik, & Kothary, 2011). For example, energy consumption is required when people try to light a lightbulb in the night; cars need energy to move. People in the world need to consume an enormous quantity of energy every day to support daily life (see picture 1). Countries’ development is also rely on energy consumption. A research find out that real GDP will be increase by 0.12%-0.39% percent when increase 1% energy consuming. (Narayan, & Smyth, 2008).
Using this multi-tier framework “can present an advantage compared to other existing metrics, where relevant data paucity is an issue” (Nerini). The measurements being made for target 7.1 are conducted by calculating the “percentage of [the] population with an electricity connection” and the “percentage of [the] population with primary reliance on non-solid fuels” (“Progress”, 19). The data collected is from internationally standardized questionnaires which are given in national household surveys (19). In regard to the targets 7.2 and 7.3, both objectives use “national energy balances collected in standardized form by the International Energy Agency (IEA) for larger countries and by the UN for smaller countries” for their data source (19). While the target 7.2 is measured by the “percentage of total final consumption of energy from renewable sources”, the target 7.3 uses the “compound annual growth rate of total primary energy supply to gross domestic product […] at purchasing power parity […]” (19).