GLOBAL RESOURCES ANALYSIS


POLICIES | REDUCE


It logical that cheap oil has lead to economies that uses a lot of it. It's logical that expensive oil will lead to economies that use less of it. Energy use must be cut, not some lousy percentages, but lets say by half (50%) as a starter. This is not a wild idea, but just an economic reality in times of by PeakOil caused high energy prices. Reducing is about 1) conservation (minority) and 2) changing processes (majority). Conservation only certainly will not give this kind of reduction. Conservation is also not a target that needs to be promoted anymore. Energy prices certainly have taken over the lead in that. No further attention needed for the conservation issues. When energy becomes high priced, for economic reasons all processes, devices, models that use energy will be redesigned. The market does this. Just because it's economic. High energy prices are a huge steering force to a more sustainable world. Conservation is doing the same, but with less energy. Improved performance of devices. Changing processes is what we really needed, and not sometime in the future but in the next years. Changing processes is about doing things differently and cutting that way the energy use tremendously. It's not about doing less, it's about doing things differently, getting the same performance by substantial less energy use. Changing processes gives economies, companies, households and individuals really gigantically energy use reductions. Changing processes makes really a 50% energy use reduction possible. Changing processes is about changing and about processes. Governments, companies, organizations, households and individuals don't like changes. Changes are considered risky, changes are about reshuffling, reshuffling is about new models and also new positions. Changes are about the risk of losing the existing benefits. This make changes in time of PeakOil a little more easily, because don't changing will certainly leads to losing benefits. Changing processes is about preventing damage, that certainly will occur if processes stay the same in energy consuming levels while energy prices skyrocking and energy shortages and supply interrupts will occur. Changing processes, what does that mean? It means that we look to everything that use energy and that we ask ourselves: how can the same productivity be done with less energy. When governments, companies, organizations, households and individuals start asking them selves this question the changing of processes is already started yet. Reducing severely the energy consumption by changing processes contributes significant in preventing negative economic growth caused by rising energy prices. Negative economic growth by rising element, material and food prices will still be effective. Changing processes give the possibility to maintain prosperity levels as much as possible. Changing processes also reduces trade deficits (which more and more are caused by energy purchases). Changing processes demands new processes. Ask your universities for them in exchange of no budget cuts in dire straits times if they do so. Reducing is not about less consumption. The higher energy prices will have that effect. Reducing is about maintaining as much as consumption in headwind times of very Expensive Energy.


Author: Gijs Graafland


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