-
Essay / Purdue Energy Forum - 1172
Amidst the technological revolution, we face an ever-increasing demand for energy resources on a global scale, finding ourselves globally in a looming energy crisis. Industrialized countries, including the developed world, such as those of the United States of America and other European countries which represent only 20% of the total world population, require almost approximately 53% of the world's energy production, leaving the developing world with negligible resources to promote their own growth and development. As Maria Trimarchi (2008) points out, “energy consumption would be higher in countries where less than 5% of the population lives below the poverty line than in countries where most people live in poverty – four times more.” (p.1)For example, Americans make up less than 5 percent of the world's population and yet consume 26 percent of the world's energy. Together, the United States and Canada account for 50 percent of the energy consumed by the world's richest industrialized countries; Europe, 33 percent. Currently, the world's population is responsible for consuming 15 terawatts of energy from a combination of various energy sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, oil, coal, natural gas, and some other renewable energy resources. At the expected rate of increase in this energy consumption trend, scientists estimate that the entire planet will run out of sustainable energy resources in the coming decades. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the consumption of these energy sources emits undesirable products into the atmosphere and degrades the environment in which we live. In order to make our planet self-sufficient in terms of energy,...... middle of paper ...... generations. This can be done by organizing such events, or at the very least participating in them. To further address and resolve the problem we face as a society, the Purdue Energy Forum has proposed future projects to address the problem of energy consumption, few of which are already underway and/or on the verge to be completed and implemented. These projects include the Ross Reserve Living Lab, The Lafayette High School Energy Clubs, eV Grand Prix Team, and Campus Impact, all of which are aimed at and designed to address today's energy problem. As a future technologist, I view the goal of energy conservation as a noble cause, and that is where my interest lies. Works Cited • http://www.purdueenergyforum.org/• http://www.economist.com/surveys/ displaystory.cfm?story_id• http://www.worldwatch.org/node/808