Energy: the long view
This paper looks at some long-term aspects of energy supply and use over the periods before and since the industrial revolution. It is intended to provide an overview and draw out some issues which deserve more sustained examination, not to give a definitive or comprehensive coverage of such a wide field. The rationale for the study is explained further below. If we are concerned about the long-term sustainability of our energy systems, we need to be able to think about energy from a longer-term perspective. This may mean revising some of our standard assumptions and expectations, which are often based primarily on experience with today’s energy markets.
