The path that the United States took to become the largest consumer of power in the world was one largely chosen by market forces and government intervention. The role of culture on the use of energy is negligible in comparison with the influences of economic and political factors. The choices to adopt several new methods to produce energy were caused by the backing that these energies had in creating wealth or saving money for those who used the new energy and by the backing of the government through direct and indirect subsidies. One can examine the transitions to coal, oil, nuclear power, and current transitions toward green energy in order to see that the market forces are the dominant factor in dramatic increase of energy consumption in the United States.
Coal was the cutting edge of energy generation before any other source was extensively used. Wood, wind, water, and muscle power provided nearly all of the energy before the widespread adoption of coal. The greater energy density of coal provides a greater efficiency than these other methods of generating power; combine that greater efficiency with its ease of transportation and coal easily becomes the fuel of a nation. In its early days, coal was mined and consumed in England, a country short on wood and usable water power. This shortage in other areas left a gap that the relatively cheap coal could fill. Coal allowed for industry and manufacturing to grow and produce profits greater than almost any other industry. Coal gained its popularity mainly because it had an economic value in that it provided energy in quantities and in locations that were unobtainable and unreachable for the other energy sources at the time. This start in England led to momentum in ta...
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...ercame this view and made consumption of new energy sources rise. The United States became the foremost user of energy in the world because the free market economy and the government subsidies of energy made the path of energy consumption the one most easily taken.
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...m fossil fuels, there remains alternative resources that can easily be taken advantage of. So why isn’t the United States taking this deeply into consideration and improving this dilemma? The energy crisis of the 1970’s continues on into the present as Americans search for new ways to fuel the consumption. This remains unresolved.
Michael Klare's Blood and Oil Michael Klare has written an interesting and very relevant book, dealing as it does with the politics of oil, US foreign policy, the Middle East, and the causes of terrorism. He writes with a clear purpose and that is to argue that America's "securitization" of oil and its willingness to use military force in order to secure its supplies of oil have been a major mistake. His main argument is that ever since the meeting on the Suez Canal in February 1945 between Ibn Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and President Roosevelt, that America has supported despotic regimes in the Middle East in exchange for guarantees of oil supply, and that this is a deal, which undermines American commitment to and support for democracy and freedom. Furthermore, Klare believes that unless American policies change dramatically, there is likely to be an increase in conflict over oil, as countries such as China, which is dependent on imported oil (like the U.S.), attempt to secure their own oil supplies. Oil is a finite resource, which will be in increasingly short supply over the next few years, and production may now be near its "peak." In short, he believes that America must act now to move to a post-oil economy, taking exceptional measures to reduce the use of petroleum by motor vehicles and to introduce alternative fuels. ...
Coal production had become a driving force behind the United States industrial revolution. Coal was used for a variety of purposes including powering steam engines, iron manufacturing, and the heat in homes and towns. One of the largest users of coal in southern Colorado was the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I). Their furnaces were heated with coal from, he Culebra Mountain range in the southern part of Colorado was known for having some of the richest coal in the state. The coal is glossy black bituminous coal the second highest grade of coal available.
Coal is considerably one of the most important sources of energy in nature and is one the most significant sources for power generation worldwide. The excavation and importance of coal became mainstream and apparent during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries.
An American History of the World. 4th ed. of the book. W.W. Norton, 2012, 591. 6.) Foner, Eric.
Advancements in new technology clearly promoted the industrial growth of the United States. The new technologies allowed business owners to reduce labor in the movement of materials from one point to the other. This occurred by using the new technology of railroads and machinery. Business owners used the railroads to transport their finished product and raw materials around the country more efficiently, which enabled businesses to expand. The business owners were now able to use machines for lifting materials from one floor to another and to use conveyer belts to move materials around on an assembly line. The use of machines is evident because the graph in document 5 clearly shows that American industrial and agricultural power sources between 1850 and 1900 changed. This is evident because in 1850, only 13% human power and 35% water and coal power was used, but in 1900 a mere 5% human power and a whopping 73% water and coal power was used. The use of machines more than doubled over the course from 1850-1900, and the human output de...
Shafer, Leah R. "Address on the Energy Crisis (15 July 1979)." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 9. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 492-94. U.S. History in Context. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
In the event where one of these powerhouses were to fail, the nation’s ability to provide would be greatly diminished. The coal mining industry in Britain was a prime subject for this government scheme. For decades, this business had several issues hindering its effectiveness. Easily considered as a basic industry and a staple for Britain for providing the main source of heating, it would be best that coal be transition from control under private owners who have that much influence over society into control under the government for the interest of the public (Mowat 272). Coupled with obstinance between management and worker, declining coal production, and (dwindling) labor force, the coal industry was an important economic field to attend to (Mowat
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Using coal is one of the most historical ways to generate electricity around worldwide. According to the book Your World in Motion: The Story of Energy by George Barrow, the author stated that the first time people used thermal power by coal was at north train station Paris in 1875. The technology of the generators, the manufacturing of steam turbines and the power transmissions has been improved step...
The Paramount Classics. 2006 Annex, Robert. The. “Stimulating Innovations in Green Technology.”
With an ever-growing urban population, the world requires progressively larger amounts of energy to sustain a city lifestyle in which a person can drive to work, purchase food from stores, and use technology such as computers and phones. Over two thirds of the United States’ electricity is generated with the use of fossil fuels, contributing to the emissions causing global warming and degrading the environment. (UCSUSA coal) When people recognized that using coal and natural gas as ways to obtain electricity have severe negative long term impacts on the Earth, and that there is a fixed amount of these resources to be used, they began seeking alternatives to meet their energy demands. According to Malthus’ theory, wars should arise in order to obtain the last of these invaluable resources, however, it can be seen that that is not the case and people are instead trying to use different types of renewable energy. The Union of Concerned Scientists states that “we have the technologies and resources to reliably produce at least 40 percent of our electricity from renewable energy sources within the next 20 years, and 80 percent by 2050” (UCSUSA renewable energy). Humans have been able to progress towards renewable energy sources, limiting reliance on finite resources and opting for non-renewable ones, such as solar and wind energy. To help with this initiative, many state
middle of paper ... ... g the Energy Revolution." Foreign Affairs. Nov/Dec 2010: 111. SIRS Issues Researcher.