Abstract
This chapter will provide a starting point; covering a brief evolution of energy sources through time and considering the intensive use of fossil fuels and the increasing use of several renewables associated with scientific and technical revolutions. The chapter will describe the main current energy uses, their relationship with specific resource availability in different countries, the geopolitical strategic contexts, and main market trends. With the present focus on sustainability, the book’s first chapter sets the basis for all contributions to this edited book, and for the following chapter that deals with economic and environmental policy. Sustainability’s three main tiers will also be addressed in the book’s chapters, emphasising the systemic approach to energy.
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Notes
- 1.
The nuclear race originated to gain military (and ultimately political) advantage after WWII. It also created benefits in the energy mix portfolios for countries such as the US, the USSR, China, India, France, and the United Kingdom.
- 2.
Even Saudi Arabia has an ambitious plan to restructure its economy; Saudi Vision 2030 proposes a move away from oil and close to a renewable energy economy. But insofar as the global context calls for urgent action, now, against Climate Change damage, Saudi Arabia has not yet taken advantage of its vast potential.
Abbreviations
- GDP:
-
Gross Domestic Product
- IEA:
-
International Energy Agency
- OPEC:
-
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
- SE4ALL:
-
Sustainable Energy for All
- UK:
-
United Kingdom
- USA:
-
United States of America
- WWII:
-
World War Two
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Molina, A., Mendoza, A., Lozano, F.J., Serra-Barragán, L., Ibarra-Yunez, A. (2022). Historical Context and Present Energy Use in the Global Economy. In: Lozano, F.J., Mendoza, A., Molina, A. (eds) Energy Issues and Transition to a Low Carbon Economy. Strategies for Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75661-1_1
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