After the shock of the oil crisis, there was a surge of activity from governments and industry in the fields of conservation and the use of alternative energy sources. But the recent oil glut and the fall in oil prices have lulled many back into the old belief that cheap energy is here to stay.
At present, three-quarters of world energy consumption comes from nonrenewable “hard- energy” sources - a third of this amount is oil, a quarter coal, and the rest from natural gas. The other quarter of world usage is supplied by amixture of nuclear power, hydropower, and biomass. In developing countries, however, there is heavy dependence on biomass, and the burning of fuelwood and animal dung is resulting in serious environmental destruction. (more…)
