Monday, June 18, 2012

Energy to our Society

Role Of Energy To Our Society


What is Energy?

  • a scalar quantity,
  • abstract and cannot always be perceived,
  • given meaning through calculation,
  • a central concept in science.


Home
               Homes will generate energy, share it with others when it makes the most sense, as well as use it much more wisely. The integration of these concepts will forever transform and improve the way we use energy while providing a major part of the solution to some of society's most pressing issues. The details are complex and will take some time, but the seeds of change have already taken root and are sprouting.


Environment
            Energy use and supply is of fundamental importance to society and, with the possible exception of agriculture and forestry, has made the greatest impact on the environment of any human activity - a result of the large scale and pervasive nature of energy related activities.Energy and Environment is an interdisciplinary journal aimed at natural scientists, technologists and the international social science and policy communities covering the direct and indirect environmental impacts of energy acquisition, transport, production and use. 



Information and Communication Technology

                  Energy use is the single largest contributor to the carbon footprint of the ICT sector. An important amount of the electricity used by ICT is consumed when equipment is switched off or is not performing its main function. ICT electricity demand through manufacture, use and transport adds significantly to projections of future global energy consumption.  Most studies indicate continued strong growth of ICT, but there is less agreement about how this will eventually affect energy consumption. Projections of the expanded use of information and telecommunications equipment in households and businesses in Europe, for example, range from an overall increase of energy consumption of 37 per cent by 2020 (worst case) to a decrease of 17 per cent (best case).  These figures take into consideration manufacturing, transportation, use and waste management within the sector.



Transportation
               In 1973, petroleum shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo launched the world's industrialized nations on a search for more efficient homes, factories, and transportation systems. After two decades of attempts to economize, energy use in the residential sector is about the same, industrial energy use is down, and transportation energy use is up. Today, we are more concerned with the other side of the coin - the environmental problems and long-term economic perils of unbridled energy consumption.



Economy

                 Energy is a crucial ingredient for economic development. As both agricultural and industrial activities increase, the demand for energy similarly increases. In the developing world provision of a greater access to energy has been suggested by some that will help grow their economies and improve the lives of the poor. 
                The process of converting economic inputs – capital, labor, and various forms of energy such as oil, coal etc – into economic outputs such as manufactured goods and services can be expressed using an equation called production function.

















No comments:

Post a Comment