Cultural Categories of Energy Use

摘要

Energy use patterns and attitudes are tied to more general cultural patterns, not simply to an economic or engineering rationality. To illustrate this, sharply contrasting use patterns and attitudes toward nuclear energy, coal and alternative forms of energy will be compared for India and the United States. This comparison, focusing on different perceptions of risks associated with developing energy technologies, future energy requirements, environmental concerns, and conservation patterns, will be used to develop a more extensive discussion of the above energy sources in western Europe and South America. The talk will conclude with some conjectures about the implications of cultural differences and political environments for world energy development patterns in the proximate future. Likely cultural and political influences on the direction of energy use (efficiency, rates of adoption of new technology), and energy needs for industrialization and reindustrialization will be described for North America, western Europe, and selected LDC's. (Atomindex citation 16:022381)