Energy Sustainability in the Pacific Basin: Case History of the State of Hawai'i and the Island of O'ahu as an Example.

摘要

As the Earth's population increases to a total of 6.7 billion inhabitants in 2007 and in 2050 to at least 8 billion, all of these individuals will require natural resources to sustain their existence. With the realization that the Earth's resources air, water, food, energy, minerals, etc. are being strained to support this unprecedented population growth, the concepts of such sustainability and sustainable development are being examined as a possible remedy to current and future resource problems. Sustainability is defined in many ways, but it implies development (not necessarily growth) that supports human progress not simply in certain places for limited periods of time but for the entire planet far into the future. In this context, development should not come at the expense of future generations and their environment and resource needs.