What can be done about energy insecurity?
There are a range of options available to address this problem:
- Try to further exploit their own energy resources, including difficult to reach energy sources through fracking
- Import energy from other countries
- Reduce energy consumption
Exploring resources in difficult and sensitive areas
Most of the easy to access fossil fuels have already been extracted so the remaining sources are in hard to reach or environmentally sensitive areas such as the Arctic circle.
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Impacts of energy insecurity on food production
Food production uses 30% of global energy (powering farm machinery, storage and fertiliser production).
Agriculture can generate energy as maize and sugar can be used as biofuels which has also contributed to raising food prices as the food is not being used for consumption.
In LICs, there are a lot of women who spend significant portions of their day getting fire wood for fuel, rather than spending their day working on farms in food production.
Agriculture can generate energy as maize and sugar can be used as biofuels which has also contributed to raising food prices as the food is not being used for consumption.
In LICs, there are a lot of women who spend significant portions of their day getting fire wood for fuel, rather than spending their day working on farms in food production.
Impacts of energy insecurity on industry
Energy is essential for the source of power and a raw material in industry.
Countries with energy insecurity can suffer from power cuts which will significantly reduce the capacity of production for industry - up to 4% of GDP in Pakistan.
Countries with energy insecurity can suffer from power cuts which will significantly reduce the capacity of production for industry - up to 4% of GDP in Pakistan.
Potential for conflict
Shortages can lead to conflict if one state holds a bigger share of global energy such as Russia who hold 25% of the world's natural gas supplies.
Wars in the Middle East in the 1990s and 2000s were based on western fears that there might be a global oil shortage.
Wars in the Middle East in the 1990s and 2000s were based on western fears that there might be a global oil shortage.