Lest you have any doubts: recent energy consumption trends

[GliderGuider]

A lot of electrons have been spilled recently about the impending shift to coal as the rest of the global energy market tightens. We all accept that this will be a bad thing for the global environment.

I analyzed the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2007 to see if any trends were apparent. The results are in the graphs below. They show conclusively that coal is experiencing the surge we've all been afraid of, and in fact has been surging since 2002. In that period, Nuclear use increased 4%, Hydro increased 13%, Natural Gas increased 13% and Oil increased 8%. Coal consumption went up by 27%.

Read 'em and weep.







This graph clearly shows coal replacing oil in the global energy mix, presumably due to rising oil prices brought on by supply constraints:


Paul Chefurka

[bananas]

1. Thanks - here's the coal use by region

Almost all the increase is in Asia.
Europe and Eurasia actually declined slightly.
http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9017919&contentId=7033429

[NNadir]

3. Something new?

You're suddenly interested in coal?

Don't make me laugh.

[NickB79]

2. We're boned

Totally, utterly boned.