By coincidence I recently calculated per-capita energy use in the USA in 1970 and now. Basically there is no change. Not surprising considering the huge increase in energy costs at around that time. So I agree with the above post.
When you consider the very strong correlation between energy and GDP—across countries and across time—the stagnation ceases to be a mystery. Computers don’t use very much energy in comparison to things like cars so they are the one exception.
There is a view that renewables technology will be “too cheap to meter”. As far as I can tell this is completely wrong. You need to look at the entire energy system not just household electricity on during a sunny daytime in summer. To replace it with renewables will, in my estimation, without a huge unexpected breakthrough in battery technology, be far more expensive and possibly not even possible.
Sticking with fossil fuels will not work due to depletion. Nuclear same problem, unless you accept breeder reactors and massive nuclear proliferation.
By coincidence I recently calculated per-capita energy use in the USA in 1970 and now. Basically there is no change. Not surprising considering the huge increase in energy costs at around that time. So I agree with the above post.
When you consider the very strong correlation between energy and GDP—across countries and across time—the stagnation ceases to be a mystery. Computers don’t use very much energy in comparison to things like cars so they are the one exception.
There is a view that renewables technology will be “too cheap to meter”. As far as I can tell this is completely wrong. You need to look at the entire energy system not just household electricity on during a sunny daytime in summer. To replace it with renewables will, in my estimation, without a huge unexpected breakthrough in battery technology, be far more expensive and possibly not even possible.
Sticking with fossil fuels will not work due to depletion. Nuclear same problem, unless you accept breeder reactors and massive nuclear proliferation.