Issues in Energy and Sustainable Development

June 1998

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Energy has long played a central role in the development and functioning of the worlds economy. An essential input to agricultural production, transportation, industry, commerce and the home, reliance on energy will continue to grow as world population increases and standards of living improve. The trend towards increased mobility, urbanization and an integrated global economy will further accelerate our energy use and dependence. History has also shown us that increased energy use and mechanization brings with it its own burdens with respect to the environment, health, safety, lifestyle and community.

Recent analysis of international energy trends shows that under conventional development strategies, global energy consumption is projected to be half again as large in 2015 as it was in the early 1990s, and may double again between 2015 and 2030. Most of the growth in energy use and its associated environmental impacts will occur in developing countries. While future changes in population, technology, and economic growth are unknown, what is clear is that a balance between energy, economics, and the environment will be needed for sustainable development to occur.

A growing dependence on energy carries significant costs of its own. The extraction, refinement, transportation and storage of fuels carries an immense environmental burden, as does its ultimate consumption, and disposal of waste products. These burdens have local, regional and global manifestations, ranging from impacts on soil, groundwater and land-use, to those on atmosphere and ocean. Foremost among many communities are the local and regional environmental impacts. While these are not new issues, the need to manage our energy use and reduce its negative impacts has grown more immediate as regional economies grow and prosper.


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