Energy Use
Fuel and Food Energy use by humans causes global warming. It comes in many forms, but can be neatly fitted into two categories, Fuel and Food.
All types of energy used come at a cost to the environment. Compared to fossil fuel energy, renewable energy is responsible for less CO2 emissions. However, it still has a carbon footprint. Click here to learn more.
Food Energy
Finally there is another source of energy. Our food. This gives us energy. Growing and processing food uses energy.
If we eat cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and fish, they need food energy. Remember energy can neither be created nor destroyed, just changed.
Production of a kilogramme of beans has a much lower energy use than production of a kilogramme of beef.
Food for the humans on the planet, food for our farm animals and our pets. All wild creatures need food too. The food industry also pumps that gas, CO2 into the atmosphere as well. It also adds large quantities of Nitrous Oxide and Methane, both much more powerful greenhouse gases than CO2, but with a much shorter half life. I will explain in due course.
Renewable Energy Use
It is important to understand or at least know the First Rule of Thermodynamics which is Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transformed from one state to another.
Biomass or biomass derived Ethanol are NOT renewable energy sources.
“Labour without energy is a corpse; Capital without energy is a sculpture”
Introducing Energy into Economic Theory
“Steve Keen”
“A machine without energy is a sculpture”
“Steve Keen”
“An animal without energy is a corpse”
“Steve Keen”
