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Energy usage, particularly of non-renewable resources such as oil,
coal, and natural gas, is an integral part of the industrialized world
and will shape world politics for the next century, yet most Americans
don't know much about it. This page is a work in progress, but it is
meant to get you thinking about this very important issue.
Simple energy facts:
-- Just about everything you do involves consumption of energy, from
living in a comfortable home to driving to work to buying groceries and
feeding yourself.
-- Oil, in particular, is the life-blood of industry. The United States
makes up 5% of the world population, yet uses roughly 25% of its oil. Oil
usage is involved in virtually every product we produce or consume.
-- Demand for energy is constantly on the rise, particularly in countries
like India and China, which are going through a significant industrialization
phase.
-- Peak Oil is the term used to represent when demand for oil
will exceed the supply. Experts believe this will occur sometime in the
next thirty years. Pessimists think it has already happened. The two
times in the past when demand exceeded supply were followed by recessions,
and those previous two times were artificial scenarios. Peak Oil will
not be artificial. It will be irreversible.
Do your part. Understand your energy usage and your country's energy
policies. Here are some links to help.
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