The energy dilemma

In the last post, I talked about the balancing act inherent in the concept of sustainability. Here is an example of what I'm talking about, from a 2001 United Nations report on energy and transport.

Energy and transport pose a basic dilemma for sustainable development in that both are necessary for socio-economic growth, yet they are associated with environmental degradation, especially with regard to atmospheric pollution. Affordable energy is key to poverty reduction and supports a whole range of related development goals, there are still 2 billion people who lack access to commercial energy. At the same time, the production and use of energy — especially through the combustion of fossil fuels — can and does create adverse environmental effects. Without remedial action these problems will further worsen as overall energy demand and use continue to rise.

You can make an argument that one facet of sustainability is about eliminating (or at least decreasing) poverty. The grinding poverty that most of the world lives in is not sustainable. At the same time, one of the key elements in eliminating that poverty is increased energy accessibility and consumption - which as it stands now has the potential for a negative environmental impact.

Economic growth also generates increased energy consumption. Just look at China.

Yes, alternative energy sources have the potential to pick up the slack in a way that doesn't have the same negative environmental effect as fossil fuels, but the reality is that we're a long way away from that being broadly and effectively available.

So what do we do?

I suspect I'm going to end up having a lot more questions than answers here.

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Comments

[Lynn Daven]

I think if our goal for sustainability is sincere, then we should do all that's necessary to achieve this. Sure, we may have to invest in the right technologies in the process, and we may have to wait for results. But if these prove efficient and economical, then we can achieve both environmental stability and economic growth.