Tuesday 14 May 2013

Energy Issues & Poverty in the Modern World

In the age of Smartphones, Online Social networking, we have instant access to information and constant means of communication. For us it is difficult to imagine life without these luxuries, but for a large portion of the world these technologies are not only a rarity, but an impossibility, as there is no access to electricity. Be it cause of lack of means or awareness. Ever wondered about the extent of affect electricity over-consumption has on our society?
Energy poverty is a lack of access to modern energy services which are crucial to human well-being and to a country’s economic development.

According to a recent IEA and UNDP report, over1.5 billion people do not have access to electricity; 585 million of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa and 404 million in India. Three billion people i.e. almost half of the world’s population, rely on biomass, such as wood, charcoal, and dung for cooking and heating purposes. A lot of developing nations have people using dirty or polluting fuels, spending excessive time collecting fuel to meet basic needs which is hazardous to health in the long run.
Countries cannot develop economically if a significant portion of the households/population is living in energy poverty.


Energy poverty is one of the least discussed aspects of our current energy challenge, yet it poses serious threats to economies, national security, the environment, and public health throughout the world. Thus, addressing this issue is very important. Solar energy should become vastly prevalent and awareness should be spread about the same. Technological innovation is needed to drive down the cost of such energy substitutes so they are competitive and easily accessible. Developed nations have a big role to play in assisting these developing nations to grow.

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