How do energy sources affect society

I could see a chemist from our hotel window, but the receptionist looked horrified when I asked her how to get there and insisted on calling a cab for me.

But why walk, when petrol costs a few pence a litre? Access to abundant energy has shaped Bahrain, from the lack of pavements to the extravagant construction projects, artificial beaches and ultra-air-conditioned buildings. Japan is richer than Bahrain, but it has no indigenous oil or gas. It uses a quarter of the amount of oil per person, and a third of the carbon dioxide.

Its society and economy have developed in a very different way. Profiting from lean manufacturing and fuel-efficient cars, the Japanese have made a virtue out of a necessity. The contrast between Japan and Bahrain shows how economies and societies are shaped by energy, and how the demand for energy can vary hugely, between countries and over time. Our cities, our history, even our food has been shaped by access to energy. Today, in industrialised societies, we use fifteen times the amount of energy per person than we did before the industrial revolution.

But we have become so accustomed to it that we have no conception of its importance in political and social life. Progress in education, social mobility, science and technology are celebrated; the role of abundant energy in making them happen is largely ignored.

Modern dairy cows can produce up to sixty litres of milk a day, five times more than a calf needs. This is seen as a triumph of agricultural science and technique. Genova, B. Girma, E. Kissel, A.

Levy, S. MacCracken, P. Mastrandrea, and L. White eds. Melillo, and T. Peterson eds. Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Jump to main content. Contact Us. New infrastructure investments may be necessary to meet increased energy demand, especially peak demand during heat waves. Climate change could affect the amount of water available to produce electricity or extract fuel.

In areas where water is already scarce, competition for water between energy production and other uses could increase. Sea level rise and more frequent intense storms could disrupt energy production and delivery by damaging electricity infrastructure, fuel delivery infrastructure and equipment, power plants, or storage facilities.

Related Links EPA:. Annually, the EPA sets volume requirements for each category of renewable fuel. The volumes are determined by technology and the availability of each type of renewable fuel. Access to abundant, affordable, secure, safe, and clean energy is beneficial for humans. But energy extraction, transportation, and use can have negative consequences to the health, environment, and economics of a society. Moreover, relying on imported energy can create vulnerabilities to a nation's security.

The impacts of energy decisions are not equal for all people. Poor or marginalized societies are more likely to suffer negative consequences of energy decisions because they have a reduced capacity for adaptation and they may lack negotiating power compared to wealthier societies. Therefore, vulnerable populations can benefit greatly from improvements in energy accessibility, safety, or affordability.

This topic also raises the fundamental problem that the world is strongly dependent on a finite supply of fossil fuels. As demand increases and supply becomes scarce, the problem becomes more acute, with potentially severe economic and social consequences.

A large-scale transition away from fossil energy poses a great challenge for society. Students can expand their thinking beyond their own personal experiences with energy and consider ways in which energy can impact the economics, security, environment, and health of other societies. Energy supplies are traded globally and the effects of energy use have worldwide consequences, so students can appreciate the expansive reach of energy issues. Students, particularly younger students, may not have considered how their own experiences with energy are vastly different from students their own age in different countries.

Students will need to be exposed to ideas, values, and case studies from other cultures in order to appreciate how energy choices differ around the world. This broad-view approach is particularly helpful when considering negotiations and cooperation between nations as we tackle climate change and sustainable energy challenges.

It is located in the heart of China's coal belt and is surrounded by coal mines. Photo by Alvaro Felipe. Provenance: Photo by Alvaro Felipe. Similar to Energy Principle 6 , these ideas may result in students confronting the impacts of American energy choices on the rest of the world.

This is particularly poignant as developing economies strive to achieve a quality of life that is more similar to ours, which is resulting in sharply increasing consumption of energy in developing nations. Educators can aim to broaden students' worldviews while also preventing feelings of guilt or helplessness. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts.

All forms of electricity generation have an environmental impact on our air, water and land, but it varies. Producing and using electricity more efficiently reduces both the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity and the amount of greenhouse gases and other air pollution emitted as a result.

Electricity from renewable resources such as solar, geothermal, and wind generally does not contribute to climate change or local air pollution since no fuels are combusted.