There is a high correlation between the economic level of countries and their energy consumption. The higher the economic level, the more energy consumption. In turn, the greater the development and energy consumption, the greater the life expectancy. Limiting energy generation globally means condemning billions of people to poverty or, at least, preventing the economic development of their countries. There is no developed country with low energy consumption.
It is estimated that global energy consumption will grow by around 50% in the next 25 years. The population of Africa alone, the poorest continent, will rise from 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion people in the next 25 years. Energy consumption will grow more than proportionally to population growth, due to the economic development of less developed countries. The problem is not the replacement of current energy sources, but rather adding new sources of energy generation that are abundant, available, at an affordable cost and, desirably, that are not excessively polluting.
In developing countries, access to cheap energy allows them to improve crop production through irrigation systems, mechanization and the availability of fertilizers. Without cheap and available energy there is no economic development. Africa’s per capita energy consumption is almost 10 times lower than that of the European Union. In turn, per capita consumption in the EU is half of per capita consumption in the United States.
The numerous voices that for years have been advocating decarbonization or the elimination of fossil sources from energy generation are not taking this reality into account, unless they wish to condemn billions of people to not being able to have adequate economic development. their countries. Global demand for fossil fuels will continue to increase, although demand in developed countries will contract due to environmental measures.
Since the first industrial revolution, the availability of energy has been the key element for economic development. Without available and affordable energy there is no economic development. History tells us that when a new source of energy appears, it does not eliminate the previous one, but rather adds to the existing ones.
Fossil energy sources (oil, gas and coal) have not stopped growing in the last eighty years.
Fossil energy sources (oil, gas and coal) have not stopped growing in the last eighty years. Today, more than 80% of the global energy consumed comes from these fossil fuels. Thinking about their replacement and putting obstacles in place without taking into account the inevitable increase in energy demand is difficult to understand.
The measures adopted, especially in Europe, against fossil energies will do nothing to change global pollution problems while developing countries increase their consumption of hydrocarbons to fuel their economic growth. These countries are not going to give up their development and, therefore, will continue to use all available energy. As in the case of China, they will invest intensively in renewable energies, but as complementary energy to fossil energiesnot as substitute energy.
The decarbonization of the economy is a chimera that is difficult to materialize. It is paradoxical that the production of wind and photovoltaic energy is encouraged while advocating for the end of fossil energy, which is absolutely essential to obtain the essential materials for the manufacture of wind turbines or solar panels.
At the moment, with the measures adopted and the rising cost of energy, German industrial production is at 2006 levels. If Europe does not manufacture what the world needs due to the increase in industrial costs and regulations regarding decarbonization, other geographical areas (more polluting than Europe) will be responsible for manufacturing it.
Renewable energies and all the new ones available are welcome. They are necessary as complementary energy sources, not as substitute sources.
#Complementary #nonsubstitutive #energy
