ENERGY
Limited Reserve
Coal, oil and natural gas are the three essential kinds of fossil fuels that we mostly depend on for our energy needs, from home heating and electrical appliances to fuel for our automobiles and mass transportation.
Fossil fuels formed from plants and animals buried underneath the Earth's surface hundreds of millions of years ago where their remains collectively transformed into the combustible materials we use for fuel. However, due to the rapid social development in recent decades, consumption of these scarce natural resources is at a much faster pace than their formation.
Although only around one-fifth of the world's population resides in developed countries, the energy consumption accounts for half of total consumption in the world. At the same time, the less developed countries often have to promote economic growth to cope with high population growth, they are expected to consume more energy than now. According to an international statistics, the global demand for oil will grow by around 30% from 2007 to 2035, while coal and natural gas consumption will have a growth of around 50%.
With a projected world population of 9.1 billion by 2050, the global energy demand will bring about the depletion of the world's fossil fuel reserves, tighten energy supplies and result in high prices of fuels and electricity. It is estimated that the current proved reserve of fossil fuels will last less than 150 years from now. Since supplies are limited and cannot be replaced in a short time, the solution is to make the best use of renewable energy, such as bio-fuels, solar and wind.