Energy Access for the Developing World

24 Comments on "Energy Access for the Developing World"

onlooker on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 5:42 pm 



Access to energy will become even more than it is today, a case of might makes right. Whoever has the military and/or economic might will have the energy, those who do not will not.

sunweb on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 5:53 pm 



Electrical constraint and inequality

Solar and wind energy collecting devices are extensions of the fossil fuel supply system and the global industrial infrastructure. These devices will not be made without these inputs unless someone has a magic wand. (see: http://sunweber.blogspot.com/2015/04/solar-devices-industrial-infrastructure.html) I am proposing that solar and wind energy collecting devices are business as usual, if we do not impose constraints on all energy and other natural resource use.

In addition, without constraints on electrical usage (toys and tools) then the gross energy inequality globally will continue with solar and wind energy underwriting it. (below find Excel spread sheet info) Without constraints on energy use solar and wind devices and their auxiliary accessories are elitist equipment of the entitled.

There are two critical questions of the energy/electricity that we are requiring. How do we bring more equitable distribution of energy resources? Is this imbalance and the consequent strife our destiny and our demise?

Secondly, what do we need the energy for? This must be one of the mantras for survival now and tomorrow. Imagine beginning at the earth resources –the mine and the well- and the subsequent flow of these products. This creates a tremendous picture in motion of “energy” and resources flowing around the world. It is a Catch 22; we can’t live with it and can’t live presently without it.

I took the table from this site:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_electricity_consumption

I copied it to an Excel spread sheet. I rank ordered the least energy use to the most and then did an accumulation of population from least energy use to most. I could then look at what 50% or 80% of the world’s population used compared to the US of A.

Caveat: these figures are approximate however, realistic.

Caveat: These per capita figures are misleading
because the wealthy get the “lion’s share.”

– 50% of the people in the world use only 9% of the electricity generated globally (see caveat above)

– people living in countries in the top half of “energy-per-capita consuming countries” consume more than 90% of all electricity consumed (or more than 1.8 times an equitable share);

– people living in countries in the top 20% of “energy-per-capita consuming countries” consume almost 57% of all electricity consumed (or roughly 2.8 times an equitable share);

– people living in countries in the top 10% of “energy-per-capita consuming countries” consume almost 40% of all electricity consumed (or roughly 4 times an equitable share); and

– people living in countries in the top 5% of “energy-per-capita consuming countries” consume about 25% of all electricity consumed (or about 5 times an equitable share).

Even that is misleading, because all the products made elsewhere
and shipped to the USA add to the electrical (and total energy)
available for our consumption.

See more at: http://sunweber.blogspot.com/2015/07/electrical-constraint-and-inequality.html

onlooker on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 6:29 pm 



Very good informative post Sunweb. I add here what general steps could be taken even at this late stage in response to a FB inquiry as to what role US could play: ” If we had responsible leadership with foresight, I would say US could have a leadership position in gearing the planet for a voluntary power down via downsizing of materialistic expectations of all humans, transitioning quickly to Renewable energy, giving priority to social programs and good stewardship of our resources and planet over any military and non essential uses of resources and finally mass worldwide cleanup effort to employ many people. Alas, we do not have that type of leadership, so maybe the best thing is for the US to collapse and I say that living in the US but that is what is best in the long term. Oh and China and India collapse would be quite useful also.” Oh and population control by all countries is mandatory.

Boat on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 7:04 pm 



onlooker,

You little cornucopian.

davee thompson on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 7:23 pm 



Alternative energy technology transition,and the idea that intelligent, well educated people think it is real, means we have a long way to go to get to reality.

makati1 on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 7:52 pm 



davee, so correct. They all require petroleum.

makati1 on Fri, 11th Mar 2016 8:07 pm 



onlooker, have to considered the fantastic cost of doing what you suggested? You are asking countries already trillions of dollars in debt and struggling to survive, to redirect a large percentage of their energy use to convert to some ‘alternate’ energy source?

How do they do that? Ideas are cheap. Putting them to the test is not. We built out our current energy system over 100+ years. It will not switch in a few or even a decade.

It is NOT going to happen so dream on. We are like a one-way cable car, attached to the path we are on and not able to divert left or right, only continue to the end. It may wobble because of cross winds but it will not deviate.

As for your mention that the US should go down, along with China and India, I would remind you that China still only uses 1/3 the energy the US uses … Per Capita. India is about the same, 1/3.
After the top 10 countries, the rest of the world uses less than 1/10th that of an American. The Philippines, about 1/20th.

https://yearbook.enerdata.net/

Davy on Sat, 12th Mar 2016 5:18 am 



“Liar” “I would remind you that China still only uses 1/3 the energy the US uses.”

China and Asia are highest and coupled with a huge population are the other half of the problem.
https://yearbook.enerdata.net/

Davy on Sat, 12th Mar 2016 5:42 am 



“voluntary power down via downsizing of materialistic expectations of all humans, transitioning quickly to Renewable energy, giving priority to social programs and good stewardship of our resources and planet over any military and non-essential uses of resources and finally mass worldwide cleanup effort to employ many people”. This sounds great but it is not possible except for a lucky few in locals and maybe regions or some individual nations.

We must remember we have 7BIL people. That is the catch 22 predicament of overpopulation. To lower this will take mass death or slow population attrition over a generation of more deaths over births. That is a degrowth phenomenon with corresponding economic decay. A lower population must be part of the power down equation. The other catch 22 predicament is power down of the economy with destroy the global economic system that supports and feeds 7BIL and the 1BIL that are dependent on a complex economic system. This is a consumption and population predicament with no solutions.

Degrowth is our trigger for a bottleneck and economic collapse. The speed and degree of this fall is the key. It is also like a very complicated and tight entry into a planetary orbit. We can power down but with tradeoffs. Death will be a primary result of this.

The majority of the deaths will occur in the least affluent regions that are now overpopulated and produce the least amount of economic activity. The rich and affluent 1BIL will see their living standards drop to current 3rd world levels with increased death and suffering. Once these drops occur our ability to manage social programs and resources will diminish. Management and stewardship are energy intensive actions with networks and organizations. Powering down will diminish our abilities and create a locust effect. People are not going to willingly die. Getting nothing for something is usually rejected by most people.

Military is going to be needed more not less because security will need to be increased for those areas that have even a chance with survival. Control of resources and population movements will be essential for those who may survive a decline. Nature will have to take care of a cleanup but this will be a 1000 year process. We will be a species too poor and too desperate from the effects of a bottleneck to achieve any kind of lofty goals.

This is basically a mega predicament wrapped up in a catch 22 trap. We need to degrowth but need growth to degrowth. That is not possible in a world that operates by laws of reality. The possibilities for a new social arrangement is after the bottleneck and if we have a climate and environment left to allow a new civilization at a vastly lower economic and population footprint. We are talking bellow 500MIL in vastly reduced regions from the effects of climate destruction. It is possible but our possibilities are decline, decay, and death. If this happened over a generation we may find it a slow boil for many or us. I am in my 50’s so instead of 30 plus years I accept I have 10-15 because of this process. Downsizing is basically what we need to do with our expectations.

Go Speed Racer on Sat, 12th Mar 2016 9:54 pm 



They can burn cow pies and plastic pop bottles. Also we can ship them our trash and old computers, which they can burn in big piles to generate lots of electricity.

makati1 on Sat, 12th Mar 2016 10:58 pm 



Go Speed, you will soon need those cow pies also. Be patient.

Go Speed Racer on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 5:40 am 



An unlimited eternal power source is to burn old La-Z-Boy recliners. With demographic trends, nearly infinite quantities should be available from estate sales. Although there is an energy input required (pour one cup of gasoline onto the seat cushions) the net energy output is positive.

makati1 on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 6:32 am 



Go speed….are you a real person? LOL

onlooker on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 10:50 am 



yes Davy, you are right, perhaps my scenario would have been possible some 30 years ago. Now NO. As you stated Population and the manner in which our economies have evolved preclude any coherent organized descent. I suggested these litany of steps but I am like you pretty certain that they cannot be accomplished. The best we can do is maintain some level of command and control and law and order in the areas that afford the best chance for survival. As you stated the military is the ideal instrument for this. Police forces would be obsolete and ineffective. Above all it will take total cooperation and a sense of harmony among and within groups. In accord with our history that is not a given. I am sure someone like AP, would quickly shoot down that possibility due to our inherent nature and our propensity for power struggles. The climate is beginning to show worrisome signs of instability which makes our future even more dire and unstable. So, it is truly a descent with limited chances for mitigation. It is a given that we are headed for a Die-off and a much more simple primitive society

Davy on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 11:17 am 



Onlooker there is every reason to discuss what-ifs and the ideal. We have to have a goal post to play the game. I do the same thing. Keep up the good work.

Go Speed Racer on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 4:10 pm 



Me and pops built the Mach 5 and we race it in shows all over the world. Sometimes bad guys throw a bees nest at me during the race. My sister Trixie watches overhead from her helicopter. Sometimes Spritle and his chimpanzee ride along in the trunk of the Mach 5. They eat too much candy.

bug on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 4:49 pm 



Go, is you brother ,Racer X ,still racing?

Go Speed Racer on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 6:28 pm 



Nobody knows what happened to my brother. After he crashed a race car and the argument with Pops, he ran away from home.

Davy on Sun, 13th Mar 2016 6:44 pm 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9eCqwzAjTY

Go Speed Racer on Mon, 14th Mar 2016 1:13 am 



Awesome. The song is the perfect opposite to Peak Oil dooming. However, we now return you to our regularly scheduled oil peak oil gloom programming.

GregT on Mon, 14th Mar 2016 1:32 am 



“Awesome. The song is the perfect opposite to Peak Oil dooming.”

The song is also from a children’s cartoon series. As in; Not real.

Davy on Mon, 14th Mar 2016 5:24 am 



Speeder, I love the feelings that song brings back. It was a late 60’s time when everything was fine and optimistic that is if you were not being drafted to go to Vietnam. I remember being a kid again behind the black and white TV with only 4 channels.

Don’t mind Greg your pun went right over his head. Greg, lighten up man. Speeder is being funny not serious. Can you tell the difference? Must be a Canadian thAng.

It does bring me back to something I said and thought as a kid during that time. When I learned that gas comes from oil and oil from the ground I asked my dad what happens when it runs out. He laughed and shrugged it off by saying they will have something else by then. That is how children’s shows end. Kids grow up and reality is real. Our society has been living a children’s show of fantasies realized and it over soon.

Go Speed Racer on Mon, 14th Mar 2016 10:26 am 



Yeah, the 60’s and 70’s and a TV with 4 working channels and Saturday morning cartoons. Yeah, had to steer clear of the Vietnam war. But for a kid it was fun back then. Wish I could go back, because this country, its citizens and its Chinese slave labor products, totally sucks. This is not any USA such as it was in the past. This is a nation of adult punk bully mafia criminals, in pinstripe suits. So that’s why I adopted the cartoon name. LOL. :o)

Kenz300 on Tue, 15th Mar 2016 9:27 am 



Climate Change is real…. it will impact all of us……

we need to move to clean energy production with wind and solar power and clean energy consumption with electric vehicles………

Fossil fuels are the cause of Climate Change….. we need to deal with the cause….

The world needs to move away from coal and embrace the future of wind and solar energy