Why are countries of the world facing an energy crisis?
Energy consumption is an important condition for the existence of the society. The availability of energy resources was always a necessity for the fulfillment of human needs and escalating life standards (Ghauri, Awan, & Bashir, 2012).
Thus, as countries continued to improve the quality of citizens’ life, the level of global energy consumption has significantly increased. Moreover, according to researchers’ assumptions, the contemporary developmental tendencies will only increase the rate of power consumption in the future. As the demand for energy will grow, countries may face an energy crisis because the amounts the widely used non-renewable natural resources such as coal, oil, and gas are running out, and there are not many alternatives to them at the current moment (Rinkesh, n.d.). Based on this, the global community needs to adopt an energy efficient behavior and invest in the exploration of sustainable energy resources.
What is the relationship between energy and security?
Based on information provided by the Global Economic Symposium (2009), energy crisis raises the issues of political, economic, and ecological security. Nowadays, the major oil and gas reserves are located in a few regions: Russia and the Caspian Basin, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. For this reason, the countries which possess the largest amounts of energy resources have significant power, and the rest of the world largely depends on them both economically and politically. Thus, in the dynamically changing and turmoiled international environment, other states should seek greater independence to maintain greater domestic security.
The acceleration of climate change is the major security problem associated with excess energy consumption. The emissions of gasses and toxic waste into hydrosphere and lithosphere are detrimental to human health. According to statistical data, only in the United States, the presence of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and some other substances in the atmosphere has increased during 1990-2005 by 892 MMT (from 6,397 to 7,379 MMT) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). Therefore, the environmental protection represents one of the most significant public and political concerns.
In terms of government responses to the energy-climate crisis, how has the United States responded to the crisis?
Nowadays, the United States mainly use carbon-intensive energy resources. However, in response to the energy-climate crisis, the U.S. government invested in the exploration of renewable ad unconventional energy sources. For instance, a large solar energy project, “Genesis,” is launched in California. The efforts undertaken by the local government and organizations can help to improve the ecology and resolve the energy crisis problem as the sun heat has potential to produce about 86.000 terawatts a year and is ecologically friendly (Austin, 2016).
Following the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement aimed to encourage all nations to contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality and restricted mean temperature rise, the USA declared its commitments to environmental sustainability and communicated the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Obama’s administration expected to decrease greenhouse gas concentration in the country by 26-28 percent below 2005 rates by 2025 (Vine, 2016). Nevertheless, today the fulfillment of the environmental objectives is under the question as the current president does not share the common views on the ecological problems.
What are some of the solutions to the energy-climate change crisis?
According to Browne (2009), energy efficiency, development and implementation of a broad range of energy resources, and promotion of common position of climate change among the states are the primary solutions. It means that all countries should strive to adopt a more ecologically friendly behavior and a conscious attitude towards energy consumption and nature as a whole. Effective environmental protection and energy conservation strategies require a high level of the individual, organizational, and national involvement in the process of improvement.
Thus, international and domestic policies aimed to motivate people to be more responsible should be designed and enacted. To accomplish the desired goals, the fundamental changes in value and technology systems are needed. And by developing an ambitious plan and creating appropriate follow-up methods, the United States, as well as other countries, may increase the chance of attaining environmental and energetic sustainability.
References
Austin, R. (2016). Genesis solar energy project: The unforeseen consequences. Web.
Browne, J. (2009). Proposal – The energy crisis and climate change: The challenge. Web.
Ghauri, M., Awan, U., & Bashir, T. (2012). Energy crisis management – A holistic approach. New Horizons (1992-4399), 6(1), 65-72.
Global Economic Symposium. (2009). The global environment: The energy crisis and climate change. Web.
Rinkesh. (n.d.). What is the energy crisis?. Web.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks: 1990-2014. Web.
Vine, D. (2016). Achieving the United States’ intended nationally determined contribution. Web.