 |  Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e William P. Cunningham,
University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham,
Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo,
St. Cloud State University
Conventional Energy
Chapter Overview
The modern world runs on energy. We currently rely most heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels, particularly oil. As populations and lifestyle aspirations increase, the demand for energy grows. Associated environmental pollution grows as well. Current energy use patterns are largely responsible for the acid rain problem and constitute the greatest threat for global warming. The United States, with 5 percent of the world's people, accounts for 25 percent of the energy used. It takes us twice as much energy, on average, to produce a product in the United States as it takes in either Germany or Japan.
None of these things are sustainable. So what do we do? As you learn in the chapter, a broad reexamination of our energy affairs is underway. We're running out of oil. There is a lot of coal, but the environmental costs of burning it are prohibitive. Nuclear power appears to be on hold. Natural gas looks to be the transition fuel to enable us to move to new sources.
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2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education