Are We Running Out of Energy?

Are We Running Out of Energy? — page 3 — Are We Running Out of Energy Going nuclear Some countries rely partly on nuclear power another nonrenewable source of energy Nuclear power is generated through nuclear fission a process that involves splitting tiny particles called atoms Every object in the universe is made up of atoms By splitting the bonds that hold atoms together an enormous amount of heat can be released This energy can be harnessed to generate electricity Currently about 4 percent of the world’s energy comes from nuclear power The fuel most widely used for this process is uranium which is extracted from the earth Many people are against nuclear power because its production creates highly toxic waste that takes more than 20,000 years to decay Using renewables Only 8 percent of our energy comes from renewables in other words sources that can be replaced Day after day the sun shines the wind blows water flows and trees grow These are all potential sources of energy Many of them have been used on a small scale for hundreds of years We have learned to design buildings that capture the heat of the sun and over the centuries we have used the power of the wind to mill flour and transport goods and people Wood is still used in many countries for Expert View Many experts agree that energy supplies are limited so we must look for alternative sources of energy in the future There is about 40 years worth of oil reserves at the current production rates For gas we know of 70 years worth of reserves For coal there is at least 160 years with estimates up to 1,000 years because no one has gone seriously exploring for coal Iain Conn director of British Petroleum speaking in 2006 heating and cooking But the use of renewable energy on a large scale costs more than burning fossil fuels which means that so far it has not been a favored option In places such as China Canada Brazil and the United States hydropower is an important source of renewable energy These countries have high mountains and fast-flowing rivers so they have the right geography for harnessing the power of falling and moving water To generate hydropower a river is dammed to form a reservoir The dam regulates the flow of water A large area needs to be flooded to create a reservoir and villages are sometimes relocated in the process 8

Are We Running Out of Energy? — page 4 — Why is energy a hot issue The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China is the world’s largest hydroelectric power station More than 1 million people had to be relocated so that the reservoir could be built Who owns the energy resources Ownership of energy resources depends mostly on luck Reserves of fossil fuels are spread unevenly around the world More than one-quarter of the world’s coal reserves are found in the United States while almost half the world’s oil is in the Middle East The main reserves of uranium for nuclear power are in Australia Canada and Kazakhstan If a country has plentiful resources it is in a strong position because it can produce goods run a transportation system and supply the energy people need 9

Are We Running Out of Energy? — page 5 — Are We Running Out of Energy Arguments over energy Some countries have so much coal oil gas or uranium that they sell it to other countries Others have very few reserves and need to import their energy The quest for energy resources can become a source of conflict For example many people believe the world’s dependence on Mideastern oil has increased the potential for wars in that area Discovering new reserves can also cause problems As the earth’s temperature has risen with our burning of fossil fuels the Northwest Passage a sea route through Northern Canada has opened up Until recently this route which connects Europe and Asia was often frozen solid But the ice at the North Pole has melted so much that the waterways are now A worker welds part of a pipeline that will carry natural gas from Siberia in Russia to Western Europe FORUM People hold very different views about who should have access to the world’s energy supplies Energy is essential for development Yet 2 billion people currently go without condemning them to remain in the poverty trap We need to make clean energy supplies accessible and affordable Kofi Annan United Nations secretary-general 1997 2007 speaking in 2002 We will not do anything that harms our economy because first things first are the people who live in America that’s my priority President George W Bush 2001 What’s your view

Are We Running Out of Energy? — page 6 — more navigable Many countries are rushing to claim the possible reserves of oil and other minerals there and are beginning to lay claim to the area How is energy used around the world Different countries use different amounts of energy The United States has only 5 percent of the world’s population but consumes 18 percent of the world’s energy Per person Iceland consumes the most but much of that comes from renewable sources Not everyone depends on fossil fuels More than a century after the invention of the lightbulb nearly one-third of the world’s population still does not have electricity Most of these people live in rural areas in South Asia and Africa Their main sources of energy for cooking lighting and heating are wood and animal waste They need access to other types of cheap energy to improve their standards of living A woman returns from collecting firewood in a village on the south coast of India Many people around the world still rely on wood for cooking and heating their homes Why does energy hit the news Energy issues make news headlines for a variety of reasons The world’s population is increasing rapidly as is its demand for energy Countries such as China Brazil and India have fast-growing economies Just a few years ago traffic jams were unheard of in the Chinese capital city Beijing In China today one family in four owns a car Two hundred years ago everyone would have relied on the fuel they could find around their homes Today the energy for our fuel heat and light travels long distances to reach us Finally the way we produce distribute and use energy is harmful to the environment Stories about the environment make news whether they are about the waste created by extracting coal or spills of uranium or oil caused by transporting fuel around the world But the most serious threat affecting everyone in the world is the fact that the earth is being heated to dangerous levels by our burning of fossil fuels Humans are contributing to a major change in the earth’s climate 11

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