2001 Volume 1 Pages 66-76
Public policy for energy problems in the twenty-first century will develop around two themes: global warming by CO2 emissions and the exhaustion of fossil fuels. As the pace of technology development will accelerate faster and faster, the relationship of human beings to this change must be examined on a basic level. New energy policy should be based on a thorough examination of energy use from the birth of humanity.
500,000 years ago, in the First Energy Revolution, our ancestors used wood as fuel, and with the advantages of fire, rose to the top of the food chain, and branched off from all other animals. In the late 18th century, the Second Energy Revolution linked coal energy to steam energy, eliminating the need for large-scale deforestation that had been previously required for steel production. Rural society shifted into factory-based manufacturing using the new steam energy, rather than the muscle power that had been used since the beginning of agriculture. This revolution thus transformed an agricultural society into today’s enterprise-oriented society. The Third Energy Revolution occurred in the 1880s with the use of electrical energy with light and power to transportation vehicles such as automobiles and airplanes. In addition, the multiplication of both electricity and petroleum has produced many inventions, including medical appliances, personal computers, game consoles, and other electrical appliances.
The Third Revolution in particular has greatly expanded the amount of energy available, reduced the ability of humans (natural man) to perceive their environment through hearing, sight, smell, and touch. New generations (artificial man) have changed their behavior into a “throw-away” style. To deal with the two problems mentioned as issues for the twenty-first century, it is necessary to sound a warning about the current pattern of over-consumption of energy, and plan energy policy to take into account the coming energy shortage.
