Energy problem and ways to solve it. Prospects for alternative energy. Fundamentals of the world economy Energy problem Energy problem causes and solutions

Raw material problem

Remark 1

There are common features between the raw materials and energy problems, therefore they are often considered as one fuel and raw materials problem. They concern the provision of humanity with fuel and raw materials. The problem of providing countries with raw materials had a certain acuteness before, but it arose at the regional levels. However, the raw material crisis of the 70s showed its global scale.

The concept of "raw materials" itself is very capacious. These can be materials and objects of labor that have already undergone some change and are subject to further processing, for example, oil, ore, wood chips, wool, plastics, resins, etc. In general, all raw materials are divided into industrial and agricultural by origin, but more often all raw materials are associated with mineral resources. Mineral resources or minerals are nothing more than the basis for the existence of human civilization. With the rapid development of industry, the need for mineral resources increases, the rate of their extraction is growing, and the resources themselves in the bowels of the Earth are limited. Over time, they will simply be exhausted.

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The emergence of a raw material problem is associated with a number of reasons:

1. Growth in the volume of minerals extracted from the Earth's interior;
2. Depletion of basins and deposits;
3. Depletion of many ores in useful substances;
4. Limited explored hydrocarbon reserves;
5. Deterioration of mining and geological conditions of occurrence of minerals;
6. The territorial gap between the regions where raw materials are extracted and regions where they are consumed;
7. The discovery of new deposits in areas with difficult natural conditions.

The consequence of these reasons was a general decrease in the provision of mineral resources at the global level, while it should be borne in mind that for certain types of raw materials, a differentiated approach is required. Many experts make estimates of resource availability, but there are often large discrepancies between them. Nevertheless, in the age of the scientific and technological revolution, the rational use of mineral raw materials, more complete extraction of minerals from the earth's interior is important. For example, existing modern methods of oil production have a recovery factor of $ 0.25 - $ 0.45, which means that most of the geological reserves remain in the subsoil. With an increase in the oil recovery factor by at least $ 1 $%, it gives a great economic effect. “Resource wastefulness” of the $ XX century passed to the era of rational resource consumption.

This transition has two main points:

1. Thanks to the $ 70 energy crisis, the development of energy-saving technologies and the transition of the world economy to an intensive path of development began. The production and non-production spheres have significantly reduced energy consumption, resulting in savings in hydrocarbon raw materials;
2. Of all the raw materials extracted on the planet, only $ 20% is spent on the production of finished products, and the rest of the rock mass accumulates in dumps. Billions of tons of rocks have accumulated over many decades. There are also billions of tons of ash waste from power plants and slag waste from metallurgical enterprises. Much of this waste can be used to obtain new substances, for example, for the production of a number of metals, chemical products, building materials such as bricks, cement, lime, etc. Hence, this second point is associated with a decrease in “direct” resource waste.

Energy problem

The essence of the problem is that now and in the future, humanity must be supplied with fuel and energy. The energy problem on the planet has appeared because the most important organic and mineral resources are limited, and the use of fuel and energy resources is growing at a rapid pace.

Remark 2

Minor energy crises also occurred in the pre-industrial economy. In the $ 18th century in England, for example, forest resources were depleted, and the country had to switch to coal. This problem was local, and it became global when the global energy crisis broke out. These were the $ 70th years of the $ XXth century. Oil prices rose sharply and the world economy experienced severe difficulties.

I must say that the difficulties that arose were overcome, but the very problem of providing fuel and energy retained its importance. In the process of industrial production, each worker today uses energy equal to about $ 100 horsepower. And one of the indicators of the quality of life of the world's population is the amount of energy produced per person. According to generally accepted norms, it is necessary to produce $ 10 kW per capita, and only about $ 2 kW is produced.

Some highly developed countries of the world have reached generally accepted standards. If we take into account that, on the one hand, the world's population is growing, and on the other hand, energy and raw materials are used irrationally, fuel and energy resources are unevenly distributed throughout the world, it follows that their production and consumption will continue to increase. Unfortunately, the Earth's energy resources are not unlimited. At the rates, for example, that are planned in the nuclear power industry, the total reserves of uranium ores will be exhausted in the first half of the $ 21st century.

If we talk about the material content, then the cause of the fuel and energy problem is associated with an increase in the scale of the involvement of natural resources in economic circulation when they are limited. The costly economies of the former socialist countries were associated with huge losses of energy resources. Even today, for the production of a unit of production, the CIS countries consume $ 2 times more raw materials than the countries of Western Europe. The increase in the extraction of fuel resources continues. Huge oil and gas fields have been discovered and are being exploited in Western Siberia, Alaska, on the shelf of the North Sea, which in turn has led to a deterioration in the environmental situation.

Remark 3

Experts have calculated that the explored reserves of coal at the current level of production should be enough for $ 325 years, the explored reserves of gas will last for $ 62 a year, and oil for $ 37 years. With the discovery of new energy deposits, the pessimistic forecasts of the $ 70-s years were replaced by optimistic views, which were based on more relevant information.

Ways to solve problems

There are two ways to solve the energy problem - an extensive and an intensive way.

When solving a problem extensive the way requires a further increase in energy production and an absolute increase in energy consumption. For the modern world economy, this path is relevant, because in absolute terms by $ 2003, world energy consumption has grown from $ 12 to $ 15.2 billion tons of fuel equivalent. Countries such as China, which is already facing the achievement of the limit of its own energy production, or Great Britain, which is faced with the prospect of reducing this production. The development of events in this way forces countries to look for ways to more efficiently use energy resources.

Solution intensethe way is to increase the production of products per unit of energy consumption.

The energy crisis has accelerated the introduction of energy-saving technologies and restructured the economy, which largely mitigated the consequences of the energy crisis. At present, one ton of the saved energy carrier costs $ 3 - $ 4 times cheaper than the additional produced ton. By the end of the $ XX century, the energy intensity of the economy of such countries as the United States and Germany decreased by $ 2 and $ 2.5 times, respectively.

For instance:

1. Energy intensity mechanical engineering $ 8 - $ 10 times lower than in metallurgy and the fuel and energy complex;
2. Energy-intensive industries were moved to developing countries. Energy-saving restructuring of the economy gave up to $ 20% savings in fuel and energy resources per unit of GDP;
3. Improvement of technological processes of equipment functioning is an important reserve for increasing energy efficiency. The direction in this case is very capital-intensive, but its costs are $ 2 - $ 3 times less than the cost of increasing the production of fuel and energy.

Remark 4

Oddly enough, such states as Russia, China, India, Ukraine are striving to develop precisely energy-intensive industries - metallurgy, chemical industry - using outdated technologies.

Energy consumption in these countries is expected to grow both due to the rise in living standards and the lack of sufficient funds for some of them to reduce the energy intensity of the economy. For many years to come, the solution to the global energy problem will depend on energy consumption per unit of production. Today, the global energy problem in understanding the lack of energy resources in the world does not exist. The problem of providing energy resources in a modified form remains.

What are the ways to solve the global raw material problem.

1. Carry out geological prospecting and exploration work. Their goal is to increase the proven reserves of mineral raw materials. The solution to this problem is proceeding quite successfully. For example, the explored reserves of bauxite for the post-war period increased by $ 36 times, while production increased only by $ 10 times. During the same period, the explored reserves of copper increased by $ 7 times, and its production increased by $ 3 times. The explored reserves of nonmetallic minerals - phosphorites, potassium salts, etc. have increased. Prospecting and exploration of raw materials on the continental shelf, continental slope, and even on the deep-sea bottom of the World Ocean are becoming promising;
2. Full and comprehensive use of mineral resources extracted from the bowels of the planet;
3. Reducing the material consumption of production processes and implementing a resource conservation policy;
4. An important element of rational nature management should be the widespread use of secondary raw materials;
5. Replacement of natural raw materials with artificial materials that are not inferior in quality to natural ones - these are plastics, ceramics, fiberglass and other materials.

Remark 5

Russia also needs this transition to resource conservation, despite the fact that it has a huge natural resource potential. The country's economy, which has developed extensively, has recently begun to experience crisis phenomena. Deposits of natural resources are depleted, the cost of their extraction is increasing, and the predicted and actual resource availability of the country is decreasing.

Today, fuel is still being produced in the world, power plants are working non-stop and the world economy is operating in an accelerating mode, but the energy problem remains one of the most acute.
This is explained, firstly, by the growing gap between the high rates of development of energy-intensive industries in developed (and, in the near future, developing) countries and reserves of non-renewable energy resources (oil, gas, coal); secondly, the negative environmental consequences of energy development while maintaining the traditional structure of the fuel and energy balance (FEB), with a sharp predominance of polluting fuels (about 85% of the fuel and energy balance). Both of these aspects are closely interrelated, since the use of renewable (alternative) energy sources could significantly alleviate both resource and environmental stress in the world.
The rapidly developing economy at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries requires more and more energy costs. Science warns that with current energy consumption, the proven reserves of fossil fuels on Earth will last for about 150 years, including oil - for 35 years, gas - for 50 years and coal - for 425 years (the starting point is 1990). Sometimes these predictions made by various scientists do not coincide somewhat, but only a few, which, naturally, does not give humanity additional optimism. Thus, the limited natural reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials are today the main core of the global energy problem.
Of course, as prospecting expands, the reliable reserves of oil, gas, coal, shale are increasing, but this is little consolation. All over the world, they are switching to the development of deposits of raw materials that are less productive or located in remote areas with difficult natural conditions, which greatly increases the cost of production. Thus, the exploitation of oil from drilling platforms on the shelf of the World Ocean is much more expensive than on the richest fields in the Middle East. In many countries, massive drilling for oil and gas is already underway at depths of 5-6 km. The depletion of resources makes it necessary to develop a resource-saving policy, to widely use secondary raw materials.
For the first time they started talking about the energy problem in the mid-70s, when the economic crisis erupted in the West. For many years, oil has remained the cheapest and most readily available fuel. Due to its low cost, the cost of energy did not change for a long time, although its consumption grew very quickly. Arab oil-producing countries used the sale of oil as a "political weapon" in the fight for their rights and sharply increased prices for it. Thus, the basis of the energy crisis was not only economic, but also political and social reasons. The crisis marked the end of the era of cheap energy sources. The use of oil and gas as the energy resource of the future has been questioned. Let us recall that these resources are the most valuable raw materials for the chemical industry.
So, today the energy of the world is based on non-renewable energy sources - combustible organic and mineral fossils, as well as on the energy of rivers and the atom. The main energy carriers are oil, gas and coal. The immediate prospects for the development of the energy sector are associated with the search for a better ratio of energy carriers with attempts to reduce the share of liquid fuel.
Humanity has already entered a transition period - from energy based on organic natural resources, which are limited, to energy on an almost inexhaustible basis (nuclear energy, solar radiation, heat of the Earth, etc.). This period is characterized by the development of energy-saving technologies and all-round energy saving.

Moscow State Institute of International Relations (U) MFA of Russia

department of World Economy

Report on the topic
"Energy problem of the world and ways to solve it"

The work was completed by: a student of the 11th group of the I course of the Faculty of International Economic Relations
Badovskaya N.V.
Scientific adviser: Komissarova Zh.N.

Moscow
2006

All life on Earth needs energy. However, in addition to biological needs, humanity, with technical and scientific progress, is becoming increasingly vulnerable in its dependence on external energy sources necessary for the production of many goods and services. In general, energy allows people to live in changing natural conditions and conditions of high population density, as well as to control their environment. The degree of this dependence is determined by many factors - starting with the climate and ending with the standard of living in a given country: it is obvious that the more comfortable a person makes his life, the more he depends on external energy sources. An excellent example of such dependence can be the United States, according to George W. Bush, "addicted to oil imported from unstable regions," and Europe, which relies almost entirely on energy supplies from Russia. New technologies can reduce energy consumption, make it more reasonable and apply the latest, most efficient ways to obtain and use it.

But the consumption of any energy resources has the limits of quantitative expansion. By the beginning of the 21st century, many issues have already reached global significance. The reserves of one of the most important minerals - oil and gas - are gradually approaching depletion, and their complete depletion may occur in the next century.

Closely related to the energy sector are also environmental problems associated with the impact of the use and processing of energy, primarily climate change.

Thus, the issue of energy is one of the most important components of a deeper and more comprehensive problem of the further development of mankind, therefore today, more than ever, the task is to find new profitable energy sources.

Currently, fuel resources are the most widely used for energy production, providing about 75% of its world production. There is a lot to say about their advantages - they are relatively localized in several large clusters, are easy to operate and provide cheap energy (unless, of course, the damage from pollution is taken into account). But there are also a number of serious drawbacks:

Fuel reserves will be depleted in the foreseeable future, which will lead to dire consequences for the countries depending on them.

Mining is getting harder, more expensive and more dangerous as we use the most affordable pools.

Oil dependence has led to de facto monopolization, wars and socio-political destabilization.

Mining is causing severe environmental problems.

Nuclear energy is one of the promising areas of energy.

In nuclear power plants, electricity is generated by nuclear fission reactions, which produce huge amounts of energy when relatively small amounts of fuel are burned. At this level of consumption, the explored uranium deposits will last for more than 5,000,000,000 years - during this time even our Sun will have time to burn out.

The likelihood of disasters and accidents at nuclear power plants somewhat hinders the development of this industry, causing public distrust of nuclear energy. However, in a historical perspective, accidents at thermal and hydroelectric power plants have caused the death of many more people, not to mention the damage to the environment.

Another way to obtain energy, exciting the minds of scientists for more than a decade, is nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion releases hundreds of times more energy than fission, and the fuel reserves for such reactors will last for many billions of years. However, such a reaction has not yet been brought under control, and the appearance of the first such installations is expected no earlier than 2050.

An alternative to these types of energy resources may possibly be renewable sources: hydropower, wind and tidal wave energy, solar, geothermal, thermal energy of ocean waters and bioenergy.

Before the industrial revolution, renewable resources were the main source of energy. Solid biofuels, such as wood, still hold their own for the poor in developing countries.

Biomass (burning organic materials to generate energy), biofuels (processing biomaterials to synthesize ethanol) and biogas (anaerobic processing of biological waste) are other renewable energy sources that should not be discounted. They cannot provide energy production on a global scale, but they are capable of generating up to 10 MW / h. In addition, they can cover the costs of disposing of biowaste.

Hydropower is the only renewable energy source in use today, providing a significant share of the world's energy production. The potential of hydropower has not been sufficiently exploited; in the long term, the volume of energy received will increase by 9-12 times. However, the construction of new dams is impeded by the associated environmental violations. In this regard, there is a growing interest in mini hydroelectric projects, which manage to avoid many of the problems of large dams.

Solar panels today can convert about 20% of the incoming solar energy into electricity. However, if you create special "light collectors" and occupy at least 1% of the land used for agricultural land, this could cover all modern energy consumption. Moreover, the productivity of such a solar collector is 50 to 100 times higher than the productivity of an average hydroelectric power station. Solar panels can also be installed on the free surface of existing industrial infrastructures, thus avoiding land acquisition from parks and crops. At the moment, the German government is carrying out a similar program, which other countries are watching with interest.

Thanks to research, it was found that algae farms can capture up to 10%, thermal solar collectors - up to 80% of solar energy, which can later be used for various purposes.

Wind power is one of the cheapest renewable sources today. It can potentially provide five times more energy than is consumed in the world today, or 40 times the need for electricity. This will require wind power plants to occupy 13% of the entire land, namely those areas where the movement of air masses is especially strong.

Wind speeds at sea are about 90% higher than wind speeds on land, which means that offshore wind turbines can generate much more power.

This method of generating energy would also have an impact on the environment, mitigating the greenhouse effect.

Geothermal energy, ocean thermal energy and tidal energy are the only renewable sources at the moment that are not dependent on the sun, but they are "concentrated" in certain areas. All available tidal energy can supply about a quarter of today's energy consumption. Currently, there are large-scale projects for the creation of tidal power plants.

Geothermal energy has tremendous potential when you take into account all the heat trapped inside the Earth, although the heat released to the surface is 1 / 20,000 of the energy we receive from the Sun, or about 2-3 times the energy of the tides.

At this stage, Iceland and New Zealand are the main consumers of geothermal energy, although many countries have plans for this kind of development.

The considered types of energy resources are by no means devoid of disadvantages.

The use of most technologies related to the use of renewable resources is costly, and often the location of such stations is extremely inconvenient, which ultimately makes these sources unprofitable and inaccessible to the consumer. On the other hand, many sources allow the creation of small industries located in the immediate vicinity of the energy consumer, such as solar panels.

Another problem is the negative impact on the environment. For example, the construction of dams, oddly enough, contributes to the greenhouse effect - the decaying organic matter of flooded areas gives off carbon dioxide. In general, the entire ecosystem of the blocked river suffers.

In addition to geothermal and hydroelectric resources, which have a certain specific location, other alternative energy sources are often more expensive and inconvenient to use than conventional fossil fuels. Perhaps the only area of \u200b\u200btheir application is remote areas with undeveloped infrastructure, where it turns out to be cheaper to build wind and other stations than to deliver fuel by sea or land, as well as underdeveloped regions of the Earth.

Another way of solving the energy problem is intensification. New technologies are making better use of available energy by improving the efficiency of equipment - for example, more efficient fluorescent lamps, motors, insulation materials. The heat that is wasted in the environment through heat exchangers can be used for water heating and central heating of buildings.

Existing power plants can operate more productively with a minimum of cost and transformation thanks to new technologies. New power plants can be made more efficient with technologies such as 'cogeneration'. New architectural solutions may include the use of solar collectors. LEDs are gradually replacing outdated light bulbs. Naturally, none of these methods offers perpetual motion technology, and part of the energy is always spent "for heating".

In the distant future, a huge number of new energy sources can bring space exploration, although they are unlikely to be relevant in solving today's energy problems.

In the short term, we can afford solar orbital stations that would collect the energy of the sun 24 hours a day and transmit it to the Earth through microwaves. Fundamental research in this area will make it possible in the future to make this type of energy production cost-effective and competitive in comparison with terrestrial sources.

Nuclear fuel can theoretically be produced from asteroids, but the technical hurdles of drilling wells on asteroids are much more difficult to overcome than the difficulties associated with using the vast reserves of uranium-238 on Earth.

Another interesting possibility is the extraction of the isotope helium-3, which is not available on Earth, on the Moon. This type of fuel can be used in a special type of fission reaction that has advantages over the fission of conventional uranium.

Well, in the most distant future, humanity, having mastered space, will have a huge choice of energy resources. And then, probably, it will be able to use the gigantic potential of black holes, the possibility of which scientists are already thinking about.

The further development of the energy sector will in any case face difficulties: a growing population, meeting the demands of a higher standard of living, the requirement for cleaner production and depletion of minerals. In order to avoid energy crises, you need to remember the following:

solving the energy problem is impossible without paying close attention to the environmental aspect;

only an integrated approach, which provides for a more efficient use of both already known and alternative sources, will allow in the future to satisfy humanity's need for electricity;

development and implementation of new technologies will open access to new energy sources that are not available today.

In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of the Secretary of the US Department of Energy Samuel Bodman: “Today the world economy needs oil in order to develop. We need ways to achieve growth that both reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and expand our use of cleaner, more reliable energy sources. In short, we need variety. It won't be cheaper or easier, but it is necessary. In essence, everything depends on him. So you just need to provide it.

Plan

1. Introduction

2) The world's energy problem

3) Ways to solve the raw material and energy problem

4) Alternative energy sources

5) Conclusion

6) Literature

Introduction

At present, the problems of the natural environment and its reproduction, the limited reserves of organic and mineral resources, are becoming increasingly important. This global problem is associated, first of all, with the limited availability of the planet's most important organic and mineral resources. Scientists warn about the possible depletion of known and available for use oil and gas reserves, as well as about the depletion of other important resources: iron and copper ore, nickel, manganese, aluminum, chromium, etc.

There are indeed a number of natural restrictions in the world. So, if we take an estimate of the amount of fuel in three categories: explored, possible, probable, then coal will last 600 years, oil - for 90, natural gas - for 50 uranium - for 27 years. In other words, all fuels in all categories will be burned in 800 years. It is assumed that by 2010 the demand for mineral raw materials in the world will increase by 3 times in comparison with the current level. Already, in a number of countries rich deposits have been developed to the end or are close to depletion. A similar situation is observed for other minerals. If energy production grows at an increasing rate, then all types of fuel used now will be spent in 130 years, that is, at the beginning of the XXII century.

Energy problem of the world

* find a system of instruments that ensure appropriate investment and structural changes within countries;

* find politically acceptable methods of approval and support of their voters, who will also have to pay for the shifts both through taxes and lifestyle, despite the fact that some of the solutions may meet with resistance (for example, nuclear energy);

* to form an acceptable basis for interaction with other major players in the global energy market.

Global Environmental Energy Issues

Greenhouse effect. An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes the so-called greenhouse effect, which is named after the overheating of plants in a greenhouse. Carbon dioxide plays the role of a film in the atmosphere. In recent years, a similar role for some other gases (CH4 and N2O) has become known. The amount of methane increases annually by 1%, carbon dioxide - by 0.4%, nitrous oxide - by 0.2%. Carbon dioxide is believed to be responsible for half of the greenhouse effect.

Air pollution. The negative impact of energy on the atmosphere is reflected in the form of solid particles, aerosols and chemical pollution. Chemical pollution is of particular importance. The main one is considered to be sulphurous gas released during the combustion of coal, shale, oil, which contain sulfur impurities. Some types of coal with a high sulfur content produce up to 1 ton of sulfur dioxide per 10 ton of coal burnt. Now the entire atmosphere of the globe is polluted with sulfur dioxide. Oxidation takes place to sulfuric anhydride, and the latter, together with rain, falls to the ground in the form of sulfuric acid. This precipitation is called acid rain. The same happens after the rain absorbs nitrogen dioxide - nitric acid is formed.

Ozone "holes". For the first time, a decrease in the thickness of the ozone layer was detected over Antarctica. This effect is the result of anthropogenic impact. Other ozone holes have now been discovered. At present, a decrease in the amount of ozone in the atmosphere over the entire planet is noticeable. It is 5-6% per decade in winter and 2-3% in summer. Some scientists believe that this is a manifestation of the action of freons (chlorofluoromethanes), but ozone is also destroyed by nitrogen oxide, which are emitted by energy enterprises.

Ways to solve the raw material and energy problem:

1. Decrease in production volumes;

2. Increase in the efficiency of mining and production;

3. Use of alternative energy sources;

Reducing production volumes is very problematic because the modern world needs more and more raw materials and energy, and their reduction will certainly turn into a global crisis. The increase in efficiency is also not very promising because for its implementation, large capital investments are required, and raw materials are not unlimited. Therefore, priority is given to alternative energy sources.

The energy problem sooner or later overtakes every state on the planet. The reserves of the Earth's interior are not infinite, so planning for the future is the main task of research organizations. At the moment, mankind has not come up with an alternative to the basic resources necessary for the conduct of life.

The main concern of humanity

The energy problem affects every cell of society. The main purposes of using natural resources are:

• heating of housing;
• transportation of goods;
• use in industry.

Natural energy sources cannot fully cover the resulting efficiency from coal, oil, gas. The pressing issue of the sustainability of fossil-to-energy processing is also of concern to all research communities.

Conditions have changed

The energy problem was formed decades ago after a sharp increase in resource consumption associated with the development of the motor transport industry.

The crisis was growing, and it was concluded that oil reserves would last no more than 35 years. But this opinion changed after the discovery of new deposits. The development of the fuel industry has led to a deterioration in the environment in the world, which has given rise to a new problem: how to preserve vegetation and wildlife.

The energy problem is viewed not only as a matter of extraction and resource reserves, but also as a side effect of dirty fuel production. Because of the desire to possess deposits between countries, conflicts arise that develop into a protracted war. regions depends on the method of energy production, on access to it, the place of development and filling of bases for storing resources.

Solving the energy problem will help improve the situation in several sectors at once, which is important for all segments of the population. Ownership of the bulk of resources provides the ability to govern countries; it touches on the movement's interest in the globalization of the economy.

Options for closing the question of the fuel crisis

The main ways of solving problems have already been studied by economists. So far, there is no real answer to this question. All options for overcoming the fuel crisis are long-term and designed for hundreds of years. But gradually humanity is realizing the need for drastic actions towards replacing traditional methods of energy production with environmentally friendly and more useful ones.

The problems of energy development will grow with the growth of manufacturability of production and transport. In some regions, there is already a shortage of resources in the energy sector. China, for example, has reached the limit in the development of the energy industry, and the UK is seeking to reduce this area to restore the ecological situation.

The main trend in the development of energy in the world is moving towards increasing the volume of energy supplies, which inevitably leads to a crisis. However, the countries affected by the fuel crisis of the 1970s have already developed a mechanism to protect themselves from surges in the economy. Global energy saving measures have been taken, which are already yielding positive results.

Saving fuel consumption

The energy crisis is being partially addressed through conservation measures. It is economically calculated that a unit of saved fuel is cheaper by one third of that extracted from the Earth's interior. Therefore, a mode of justified energy saving has been introduced at every enterprise on our planet. As a result, this approach leads to improved performance.

The global energy problem requires the unification of research institutions around the world. As a result of energy savings in the UK, economic indicators have doubled, and in the US - 2.5. As an alternative, developing countries are taking action to create energy-intensive industries.

The energy and raw materials problem is more acute in developing countries, where energy consumption increases with increasing living standards. Developed countries have already adapted to changing conditions and have developed a mechanism to protect against sudden surges in consumer demand. Therefore, their resource consumption indicators are optimal and change insignificantly.

Difficulties in the way of saving resources

When assessing energy costs, a whole range of energy problems is taken into account. One of the main ones is the cheapness of oil and gas, which prevents the introduction of environmentally friendly converters of natural energy (sun, water movement, ocean wind) into electricity. Technology makes a significant contribution to energy conservation. Scientists are constantly looking for more affordable and cost-effective ways to generate energy. These include electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries made from waste.

The most interesting ideas and inventions for the economy have already received approval from the residents of Germany, Switzerland, France, and Great Britain. By replacing fossil processing with clean energy converters, there has been a shortage of resources. It is no longer necessary to speak of a global crisis due to limited reserves of minerals.

Energy substitution options

The task of research institutes on the way to solving the energy shortage in certain regions is to search for options for the development of technologies necessary to regulate resource imbalances. So, in the desert it is better to develop the production of electricity from the sun's rays, and in the rainy tropics they try to use hydroelectric power plants.

To maintain economic and environmental indicators at the proper level, first of all, they try to replace the use of primary resources: oil and coal. For society, natural gas and other alternative energy sources are more beneficial.

Most converters of clean energies require colossal material costs for their implementation in everyday life. Developing countries are not yet ready for this. In part, the problem of energy shortage is solved by the even settlement of the inhabitants of megalopolises in free territories. This process should be accompanied by the construction of new environmentally friendly stations for the processing of natural energy into electricity and heat.

Harm from primary resources

The main threats to nature and humans are offshore oil production, emissions of combustion products into the atmosphere, the results of chemical and atomic reactions, and open pit mining. These processes need to be stopped altogether; the solution may be the development of the scientific industry in lagging regions. Resource consumption grows with the development of society, overpopulation of the area and the opening of powerful industries.