Blog 3- Reinventing the Energy System

In this reading, Flavin and Punn argue that by combining the effects of societies needs, invention of new technologies, and increase in severity of environmental problems will influence the rapidity for efficient energy and decrease the dependance on fossil fuels in order to replace it with renewable energy.

In 1893, the combination of the "best minds" predicitons for the next century were that electrical power would be universal, and that steam and all other sources would be replaced. They could have never predicted the spread of suburbs, or the use of fossil fuels to an extent that would raise sea levels, destroy ecosystems, or increase heat waves, floods and droughts. Today the internal combustion engine is the prime mean of transportation and electricity is taken for granted as if the supply would be gone it would be an emergency. Today energy price is low so to find new energy sources that are reliable, affordable and convenient is beyond experts' knowledge. China and other developing countries have been pouring billions of dollars in the construction of coal mines, oil refineries, power plants, automobile factories, and roads.


Fossil fuels- coal, oil and natural gas, provide 90 percent of energy to industrial countries and 75 percent of the energy worldwide. Petroleum seems irreplaceable but what is already known is that energy forecasts can overlook what later seems to be obvious. If we look at our societal, environmental, economic and technological changes it seems we are already entering a global energy transition.

The outline of the new energy systems are emerging, thanks to the revolution of new technologies and approaches. The main sources for this energy are the earth's- the sun, the wind, and other renewable energies. The main source for energy could be that of hydrogen, the lightest and most abundant in the universe.

This transition would mean homo-sapiens would return to their roots. That is muscles, plants, sun, wind, and water to provide heat, light, food, shelter and movement. The next century will be moving away from fossil fuels as this last century was a move toward them. Although it make several decades to move to develop a working system, we can finally anticipate the transformation. By relying on non-renewable resources we have built an economy on patterns that cannot be sustained for another century. The foundation for new technologies will affect the lives of billions of people in the twenty-first century and beyond.

Past energy transitions have occured due to changes in technology and a wide range of social, economic, and environmental forces. Limitations of resource availability could be one force to push the world away from fossil fuels in the next decade. Natural gas and coal may last until the end of the twenty-first century but oil will not. Approximately 80 percent of the oil produced today comes from reserves discovered before 1973. The total world production has increased less than 10 percent since the 1980's. A recent analysis of data on world oil reserves shows that there is roughly 1 trillion barrels of oil to extract, and 800 million barrels of this has already been extracted. The world's oil reserves are already half gone, and the projection is that the production will peak by 2010, and then begin to decline.

Long before we run out of fossil fuels, the environmental and health issues will push us to a cleaner energy system. Fossil fuels burning are the leading source of air pollution, water and land degradation. Combustion of coal and oil is linked to lung cancer, and other respiratory problems and causes urban smog and acid rain. Ecosystems are being disrupted, and toxic chemicals impair water quality.

Localized problems are obvious but it is the global environmental effects that are raising question to our energy economy. Experts believe human activities are ending the global climatic stability that has endured in the past 10,000 years.

Kyoto Protocol is working on reducing carbon emissions by 60-80 percent and will eventually cut carbon emissions completely.

Today the fast growing economy is not producing food or automobiles it is software, telecommunications and broad range of services. This information Revolution like the industrial Revolution will have its own energy needs. These mechanical machines require reliable energy, which is now fundamentally powered through the internet by power grids and gas lines. Technologies that can meet the demands of developing countries at a minimal cost will become prminent in the twenty-first century.

Today new energy systems are being produced with electronics, synthetic materials, biotechnology, and software. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are now being replaced with light-emitting diode which are twice as efficient and last 10 times longer. Wind power emerged just over 1,000 years ago as a serious option for generating energy. Wind power is now economically competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity. Improvements in trapping solar energy has reduced costs by 80 percent in the past two decades, the solar cells are now being built in shingles, tiles, and window glass, allowing buildings to generate their own electricity. Fuel cells use electrochemical process that combines hydrogen and oxygen, producing water and electricity. Today's fuel cells are now twice as efficient as traditional engines.


Solar energy looks more prominent for countries like Mexico, India, and South America, while countries like Canada, Russia, and China have large wind resources. The energy transition is still fresh in developing countries most of which are leaping beyond with new technologies.

As we are "de-carbonizing" the world economy becomes more geopolitically controlling.

United States with only 5 percent of the world's population is using roughly one quarter of the world's energy supply, consuming twice as much as Japan and 12 times as much as China. In the United States the energy demand is overwhelmed by an increasing demand for more energy. Increased driving, larger homes, huge kitchens are energy hungry and require alot of fuel.

Studies show that focusing on human well-being instead of consumption, we would be able to develop goals that will lead us to a sustainable lifestyles for the entire world. The change in our energy system will bring focus on the connection between human-well being, energy, and the environment rather than treat energy as a commodity. This will have a more promising investment for future generations and in a livable planet.