Energy needs 'to grow inexorably' (BBC)

eppur_se_muova

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Wed Nov-07-07 05:31 PM
Original message

Energy needs 'to grow inexorably' (BBC)

The global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably through to 2030 if governments do not change their policies, warns a top energy official.

Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said such a rise would threaten energy security and accelerate climate change.

He said energy needs in 2030 could be more than 50% above current levels, with fossil fuels still dominant.

Mr Tanaka was speaking at the launch of the IEA's World Energy Outlook report.

Rapid economic growth in China and India would be the main drivers behind the rise, he said as he unveiled the agency's annual flagship publication.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7081679.stm

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greenman3610

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Wed Nov-07-07 05:34 PM
Response to Original message

1. trend need not be destiny

history proves this over and over

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pscot

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Wed Nov-07-07 08:05 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Trend is destiny when it comes to growth

Not that it matters. You can't turn an oil tanker in its own length. WE're going to play this hand out to the bitter end.

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greenman3610

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Wed Nov-07-07 11:03 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. back in the 70s they said

if we didn't build 2000 new nuclear plants and 2000 new coal
plants by the year 2000, our civilization would collapse.
Obviously, we didn't, and it didn't.
What they missed was the elasticity of demand in the
face of rising oil prices.
With oil at 100 per barrel and heading north, and
soon to come carbon taxes - I believe there is zero chance
that this scenario will play out as advertised.

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pscot

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Fri Nov-09-07 12:08 AM
Response to Reply #4

6. I hope you are right

but China is bringing coal-fired electric generators on line as fast as they can build them, and they have an 80,000 kilometer freeway network under construction. India meanwhile, is ramping up production of the Tata, a really cheap new automobile, which is supposed to put 200,000,000 Indians on the road. The trend has a lot of momentum behind it.

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GliderGuider

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Wed Nov-07-07 09:20 PM
Response to Original message

3. "The global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably"

The global supply of energy, maybe not so much.

Gee, what happens in that situation, I wonder?

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kurth

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Wed Nov-07-07 11:44 PM
Response to Original message

5. Americans must suffer so China and India can succeed

at killing the planet.

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