APES 6.2 Global Energy Consumption

Enduring Understanding:

Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

Learning Objective:

Describe trends in energy consumption.

Essential Knowledge:

The use of energy resources is not evenly distributed between developed and developing countries.
The most widely used sources of energy globally are fossil fuels.
As developing countries become more developed, their reliance on fossil fuels for energy increases.
As the world becomes more industrialized, the demand for energy increases.
Availability, price, and governmental regulations influence which energy sources people use and how they use them.

Trends in Global Energy

Energy Consumption

China and the US alone consume 40% of global energy production
20% of the population uses 80% of global energy
- Developed countries consume much more energy than developing ones

Most Widely Used Sources

Since the industrial revolution, fossil fuels have dominated the market as the major source of energy
Coal was the first major source during the revolution, but its place has been taken by gasoline
Nuclear was briefly made popular in the 70s but lost public faith
- It has never gained the same trust as before, although that doesn’t stop it from being used
- It is not increasing or decline, just staying at a constant consumption

Changes as Countries Develop

As a country develops, their reliance on fossil fuels for energy increases
- They consume more energy and fossil fuels are the easiest source to get it from
As people start using motorized vehicles, devices, infrastructure, etc., that growing energy demand has to be met somehow

What Energy Source is Used?

Many factors contribute to this decision
Availability: What fuels can consumers actually get from their location?
- If there is no infrastructure for a given energy source, that area cannot access it
Price: Supply and demand, what the consumer can afford
Government regulation: What fuels are consumers allowed to use?