Energy Consumption

Nowhere is the population-environment connection more critical than in the arena of energy. It was the fossil fuel energy revolution, beginning in the 18th century, that was responsible for the emergence of urban industrial society, with increased economic development and welfare, and the human onslaught on the natural environment.

Fossil fuels remain our major source of energy. A significant impact of fossil fuel consumption is the emission of carbon-dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. But there are local impacts as well. Automobile gasoline in many of the less developed regions contains harmful substances such as lead. Coal burned in antiquated furnaces lays a heavy pall over many cities and increases respiratory diseases.

Global projections are dramatic. In 1955 it took the equivalent of 3.3 billion metric tons (mt) of coal to produce all goods and services for the roughly 2.75 billion people on Earth. That implies 1.2mt per person. By 1995, the per capita figure had nearly doubled to 2.11mt for the roughly 5.6 billion people on Earth. At 2 tons per capita, the growth of the human population to 8 billion by the year 2025 will require the equivalent of over 16 billion mt of coal. The impact on greenhouse gas production, global climate change, and on the health of urban populations will be unimaginable.

In many countries in the developing world, wood from the forests provides the energy needed for warmth and cooking. It is often the task of women to find, cut, and carry the fuelwood. For these women, population growth means there are more people searching farther and spending more time to gather meagre supplies. In these areas, fertility reduction means promotion the well being of both the women and the natural environment they use for fuelwood.

Energy is also an arena where we can see the importance of technology. New forms of ‘clean’ energy are being developed, and fossil fuel consumption is becoming more and more efficient. In much of the developing world, photovoltaic cells or ‘gobar gas’ plants produce energy that is more friendly both to the environment and to people.

Per capita energy consumption varies greatly among countries. Rich countries consume 10 to 20 times as much energy per capita as do poor countries. On the other hand, per capita consumption is increasing rapidly in the less developed regions and is actually declining in some of the more developed areas.

There are also great differences among the wealthy countries. Japan consumes just over half the amount of energy per capita that the United States consumes, for roughly the same standard of living and level of human productivity. Energy consumption at Japanese levels would do far less damage to the environment than consumption at United States levels. Equally, a world of 7.5 billion people will have less energy impact on the environment than would a world of 10 billion.

Source: Adapted from: Environment for People: Building Bridges for Sustainable Development, UNEP, New York, 1997, pp. 4-9.