selection16.

REINVENTING THE ENERGY SYSTEM

the internal combustion engine has dominated personal transportation in industrial countries for many decades. The price of energy today is still as low as it has been before. Technology may also help our energy economy be more efficient and decentralized.

• prime movers.
  understanding energy transitions is vital to map out the path humanity may follow in the next 100 years. The oil-based economy, is influenced by rapid scientific advances and the only force that could push the world from fossil fuels is the resource limits. Indeed, oil is not sufficient enough to last beyond the 21^st century. The world has been extracting oil, which is a non-renewable resource, dramatically. The original exploitable resource base is nearly half gone and 800 billion barrels have already been used up. The issue is not the huge amount of oil being used, but the intent of developing countries to increase their vehicles.
• Systemic change
  wind power came out as a serious option to generate electricity, it is now economically competitive with other electricity sources mainly fossil fuels. Using sun as an energy source can also be renewed by modern technology by turning the sun's radiation into electric current using photovoltaic cell. Fuel cell is a technology that can transform the energy system, using natural gas.
• Great powers, geopolitical prizes
  internationally, the energy balance has net exporters countries and net importers. Developing countries are better endowed with renewable energy sources than with fossil fuels, but have embryonic energy systems and underserved populations.
• Energy and society
  last but not least, though shifting to a more energy-efficient technology that relies on renewable resources, societies will still have to make that energy economy sustainable. Making modest actions would leaves us to live in a luxurious lifestyles by historical standards.