Characterize the worlds current energy use situation and discuss Essay

Characterize the worlds current energy use situation and discuss various versions of an energy future as posed by the readings - Essay Example For example, Ayres (2001) focuses on making our present use of energy more efficient since there is technology available that can make more efficient use of our present oil and other energy resources. Instead of looking for new sources of energy or investing in our present sources, in the future envisioned by him, our energy use would become so efficient that economic growth would not be stalled until we have developed sustainable alternative fuels. The issue of development is directly connected with the search for alternative energy since the developing countries of the world depend on the availability of energy that can help them drive their economies. In any given city or country, whenever automobiles are driven, industries operated or to energy is generated to provide electric power to homes and offices, a significant amount of fossil fuels are used (Green, 2005). Of course a certain level of demand for such fuels had been met in the past since there was an abundance of resources but in the future, that demand may not be met if we continue to use fossil fuels in the same inefficient way that we have used them in the past. Ayres (2001) takes a view which focuses on governmental policies with regard to our current use of energy and how governments can mandate laws and regulations which make efficient energy a reality. This would allow significant cuts in the consumption of energy which would not only push back the peak but it would also allow the prices of oil to come down with a reduction in demand. The estimates made by him suggest that the demand for oil could be reduced by as much as half if the appropriate policies are implemented. The idea of pushing back the peak of oil production is discussed at length by Campbell and Laherrere (1998) who come to the conclusion that cheap and plentiful oil is no longer a given. They also report that the discovery of new oil production fields is