POLI 2070
11/11/13
Energy and the Environment
• Intro
o Difficulty that exists: balancing increasing need for energy & development
& growth AND the stress that industrialization & growth puts on
environment
o 2 policy areas meet in several places but particularly in climate change
issues
o Goal of energy policy
▪ Energy independence
▪ Reduce or control energy consumption
• Background
o High consumption of energy (particularly fossil fuels)
▪ High levels of pollution
▪ Periodic shortages
▪ High prices that push industries in other cheaper but more
destructive directions
▪ Possibility of large environmental disasters when regulations are
ignored or not in place
o At times regulation can be ineffective if it caused more energy production
than would have happened w/o them or if technology does not exist to
address the situation
o Issue becomes balancing economic needs w/ environmental needs
o Increased demands from developing economics, as well as increased
tension in oil-producing areas cause additional problems
• Energy sources
o Oil
▪ 37% of energy consumed in U.S. (about 50% imported)
▪ Produces problems that become highly political concerning open
fragile or reserved areas to drilling
▪ High reliance on foreign oil makes domestic policy more
dependent on foreign relations & considerations AND moves
toward the negative in balance of trade
▪ Reserves that exist can only support current consumption for a
limited time
▪ Generally more likely to cause environmental disasters than other
energy sources
o Natural gas
▪ ~25% of energy consumption
▪ Almost all natural gas comes from domestic sources
▪ Although useful in fabrication, not as easy for heating & cooking
needs
▪ Limited amount of resource exist as well
▪ Transportation is not as stable as oil