As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 79,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.
Try it risk-freeAlready registered? Log in here for access
Dr. Gillaspy has taught health science at University of Phoenix and Ashford University and has a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic.
Back in the year 1800, there were about one billion people living on our planet. One hundred years later, in the year 1900, the world population grew a modest amount to about 1.6 billion people. But, over the next 100 years, the world's population exploded, and today, we have nearly seven billion people walking around planet Earth. That's a lot of people! And, you might think that the rapid growing population is the reason we see such a rise in the energy consumption around the world, but this is only half-right.
What really makes a difference in the world's energy consumption is how much energy each person consumes. When we consider this fact, we see that there is a big difference between the energy consumption of people living in developed nations as compared to those living in developing countries.
So, what do we mean by a developed country? A developed country is a term used to describe an industrialized country with a highly developed economy. Examples of developed countries include the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Each of these countries are in contrast to a developing country, which can be defined as a non-industrialized, poor country that is seeking to develop its resources. There are many developing countries, with some of the more notable being China and India.
Energy consumption is highest among developed countries. In fact, Americans make up less than 5% of the world's population and yet consume as much as 25% of its energy. Because of America's extravagant use of energy, the United States often gets singled out in discussions on global energy consumption. Some might say the U.S. needs to go on an 'energy diet.'
When we use the term 'energy consumption,' we mean consumption of the sources of energy that generate power, including fossil fuels and renewable energy. The main fossil fuels are oil, coal and natural gas. The main renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydroelectric power and biofuels. Currently, the world's energy consumption is about 15 terawatts of power. So, you might be wondering, what is a terawatt?
Well, the term 'tera' refers to one trillion, so a terawatt is a unit of measuring electrical power that is equal to one trillion watts. If we think of a 'watt' as a unit of power used in a common household object, such as a 100-watt light bulb, then we see that a terawatt could power about 10 billion 100-watt light bulbs at the same time. In fact, we use so much energy that the light produced by developed countries can be seen from space.
If we lump all of the developing countries together, we see that combined they only use about 30 percent of the planet's energy. However, this may be changing as the economies of some of the developing countries grow. For example, China tops the list of developing countries that are consuming more energy each year. China has nearly doubled its energy usage within the past 15 years and has seen auto sales climb. Because economic growth leads to increased energy use and because cars consume fossil fuels, prosperity in developing countries (like China), leads to more global energy consumption.
Most of the world's population relies on oil as their primary source of energy, and this may be due to the fact that we use oil for many different things. Most of us think of oil products being used for transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. However, we use oil for many other applications, including asphalt for roads, fertilizer for our farmer's fields, heat for our homes and the production of plastics. Natural gas is the second most consumed power source. This is followed by combustible renewables and waste, such as biomass and industrial waste, which can be converted into energy. Coal and alternative energies, such as geothermal, hydro, wind and solar power make up the remaining energy sources.
The world is hungry for energy. However, many environmental scientists warn that the burning of fossil fuels can be contributing to global climate change, which is the term used to describe the long-term change in the Earth's climate. Despite these warnings, the use of fossil fuels in both developed and developing countries continues to rise. The link between energy demands and global climate change has some experts encouraging developed countries to conserve energy, while encouraging developing nations to adopt alternative and renewable energy sources of power.
Let's review. Energy consumption is the term used to describe the consumption of the sources of energy that generate power. Energy is generated from nonrenewable fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas. It can also be generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric power and biofuels.
The world's energy consumption is determined by the energy consumption of individuals. Generally, we see that a person living in a developed country, which has a highly developed economy, will consume more energy than a person living in a developing country that is non-industrialized and poor. If the economy of a developing country improves, the energy consumption for that country rises. This is the case in such developing countries as China.
Fossil fuels are heavily consumed for energy, but they have drawbacks, which include the fact that they are nonrenewable, and their use may contribute to global climate change. These concerns have led some experts to encourage energy conservation in developed countries and the adoption of alternative and renewable energy in developing countries.
After this lesson, you will have the ability to:
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Already a member? Log In
BackAlready registered? Log in here for access
Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.
To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.
Back To Course
Environmental Science 101: Environment and Humanity19 chapters | 145 lessons | 14 flashcard sets
{{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? 's' : ''}}
Next Lesson
Your Cart is Empty. Please Choose a Product.
Watch 5 minute video clips, get step by step explanations, take practice quizzes and tests to master any topic.
Study.com has a library of 550,000 questions and answers for covering your toughest textbook problems
I love the way expert tutors clearly explains the answers to my homework questions. Keep up the good work!
- Maritess, College StudentStudy.com video lessons have helped over 30 million students.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I aced the CLEP exam and earned 3 college credits!"
- Clair S.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
"The videos have changed the way I teach! The videos on Study.com accomplish in 5 minutes what would take me an entire class."
- Chris F.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
