Global energy facts and figures

Some interesting facts and figures from an article on the global energy situation:

World commercial energy demand, overall, is well over 90% based on non-renewable and environmentally damaging fossil fuels (only 8% is hydropower based, while capital intensive nuclear power depends entirely on non-renewable uranium, thorium and other minerals).

The current ‘oil price crisis’ in reality reflects an emerging and permanent supply crisis for oil and gas (which currently provide about 65% of world commercial energy

Soon after the present and short-term ‘price crisis’ ... which can only intensify in the 2005-2008 period ... and within at most 10 years, both oil supply and natural gas supply will enter into constant and terminal decline, due to physical depletion.

Worldwide oil depletion is now running at about 1.25-1.5 million barrels/day (Mbd) of capacity lost each year, and net additions to world oil production capacity are small, slow, high cost, and irregular.

In many non-OECD countries experiencing fast industrial and economic growth, typical annual growth rates of demand are 5%-9% for oil, and 8%-12% for gas.

World demand growth is admitted by the IEA to be running at 3%/year or more...

Overall and in fact, Kyoto Treaty implementation starting in about 2008 will result in only marginal, or no total and overall reduction of world fossil energy consumption by 2020-2030.

In the near-term, certainly to 2010-2015, world total fossil energy demand will likely increase even faster than today, because of accelerated ‘conventional’ economic development by the newly emerging industrial superpowers, China and India, and several other large population, fast growing economies such as Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.

Current and conventional urban-industrial economic infrastructures are close to 100% dependent on oil and gas energy, thermal electricity, and hydrocarbon based raw materials, as well as derived products (for example gas and oil-based fertilizers and insecticides for food production, materials utilized for building, and energy needs of operating ‘conventional’ habitat and transport systems).

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Comments

[lalo]

this is really what were getting our selfs into? well some of us try to help out the best we can by recycling but hey guess what its not enough think about it what else can we do about it to make our world a better tomarrow not for us maybe but for our children.

[Amish]

Hi being from the Energy Sector I can say that the current situation today is very critical, as the world is trying to fulfill thier energy needs by the non renewable sources, which are polluting our envirnoment and its becoming more and more expensive to get energy from such sources, may be all the countries should think of getting a large amount of their energy requirements from the re-newable, non-convential energy sources which are even more cleaner than today's energy sources, may be nuclear technology can be the answer, only if it can be used safely.....but it would have its drawbacks also but never the less one should do what he/she can do to protect the environment "As we have only one Planet to live and as we have not inhereted it from our parents but borrowed it for our children".

[tenzin]

we need help to make our environment better

[commodities]

Good post. I can say that the current situation today is very critical, as the world is trying to fulfill their energy needs by the non renewable sources, which are polluting our environment and its becoming more and more expensive to get energy from such sources....