Will we ever run out of energy? : the history and future of technological progress and energy supply

摘要

The strong conviction is that population and economic growth are so great that not only will we run out of hydrocarbons, minerals or land before technology can save us from an impending climatic apocalypse but probably all three will run out simultaneously - and soon. Yet as we will discover, the real constraint is not our finite physical energy resources, but human intervention of the statist kind. A careful look at the history, present and future of our energy supply paints a much more positive picture. Over hundreds of years, some crucial megatrends are clear; increasing consumption, progressive decarbonisation, the emergence of energy service clouds and a growth in the breadth of energy ownership and consumer choice.