Essay Example on Energy Consumption and Its Impact on Economic Growth

Introduction

In the past recent decades, the world has been experiencing some dramatic changed that are associated with political power, financial landscape, and social tension. The energy department of any country gets thought to play a vital role in contributing to its economic growth and development (Watson & Zhao, 2007). Energy consumption is contributed by the development. As a country develops, the labor-intensive shifts to energy-intensive that, in the long run, contribute to increased energy consumption. The rapid growth in China's economy is rising concern due to the increased consumption of energy. Almost all of the economic activities involved in the consumption and production sectors entail the utilization of energy. However, as much as the use of energy is of many benefits like in the market prices, much is the hidden effect it impacts on the environment. As China's population is increasing, much demand for goods and services increases, too, which then leads to increased energy use in the production industries (Watson & Zhao, 2007). The research is limited to studying the energy use in China and the various impacts it has on the environment as well as comparing the energy usage to the United States and India.

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Air pollution, water pollution, future energy shortage, and carbon dioxide, CO2 emission are the impact energy creates on the environment. Energy gets categorized as either renewable or non-renewable. Of the two categories, the non-renewable energy gets said to have a more negative impact on the environment as compared to renewable energy. Coal is the main source of energy used in China due to its abundance. Coal is a fossil fuel that contributes to the emission of carbon dioxide resulting in global warming (Watson & Zhao, 2007). Urbanization and motorization are some of the contributions to economic development, which has contributed to the emission of carbon dioxide to the environment. As a result of these activities, the water, air, and human beings get affected.

Energy Consumption

According to research conducted by Chow (2008), China, as per then attributed to 9.8% of energy consumption worldwide. The statistics obtained portrayed that by 2025, China will have raised its energy consumption to 14.2%. From the statistics collected in 2001 by the US government, the energy department, 63% of the energy consumed in China was from coal, 26% from oil, 7% from hydroelectricity, and only 3% from natural gas (Watson & Zhao, 2007). However, as in 2018, China had the highest energy consumption, followed by the United States. The consumption was 3164 and 2258 megaton of oil equivalent (Mtoe) for China and the US, respectively, as per the World Bank figures. India took the third position with a consumption of 929 Mtoe. China is the most populated country worldwide, followed by India. From the World Bank's data, an increase in the population in China has led to an increase in energy consumption. From the data, it is evident that China has the highest energy consumption, followed by the US, and India takes third place.

However, calculating per capita energy use, the US takes the lead with a figure of 6.86, followed by China with 2.205 and then India, whose figure falls as low as 0.68 (Watson & Zhao, 2007). The US is a wealthier country, and almost everyone owns infrastructures that consume energy; thus, that explains why the energy consumption in the US is a bit high, yet its population is smaller than that of China and India. India, on the other hand, has a high population and low energy consumption giving quite low energy per capita figure. The figure is so since India is among the underdeveloped countries implying that fewer people own infrastructures. The per capita purchasing power is also low due to the low income the citizens get.

When the energy-consuming infrastructures are few, less energy will be consumed, as in the case of India. However, comparing China to the US and India, it can be deduced that China has more energy per capital usage than India but less than the US. The reasoning gets based on how wealthy a country is compared to the other. The availability of many people in a country does not imply that energy consumption will be high (Fang et al., 2009).

The GDP of China and the US are relatively high as compared to that of India. China has a high GDP, yet it not that developed. The reasoning may be due to its trade partnership with the US that has resulted in its economic development. Calculating the energy intensity of the three countries, however, the US got found to have a figure of 1.1 *10 -4, China 2.32*10 -4, and lastly, India had 3.4 *10 -4 (Fang et al., 2009). Energy intensity indicates how much cost a country is needed to spend for it to convert energy into GDP. The formula for calculating the energy intensity is given by dividing the total energy consumed over the country's GDP.

The country with a smaller energy intensity figure indicates how keen the country is in ensuring its energy is used for the right purpose and does not go into waste. While calculating the energy intensity, the energy imported is included but excludes the one exported. The imported energy is used by the country; thus, why it got included in the calculation (Fang et al., 2009). US has good efficiency of energy due to the lower energy intensity figure, which answers the reason as to why it has prospered with a high GDP and less energy consumption. For the US to add a single unit to the GDP, less energy should get used.

China has a higher energy intensity as compared to the US but lowers to that of India. The lower living standards, unproductive economy, and the polluted environment in India facilitate as to why its energy intensity is high. China may; however, be viewed as been productive due to its high GDP, but its poor environmental climate that may have been contributed by its use of poor fuel vehicles and the fact that people have to commute long distances to work may have contributed to the high energy intensity (Fang et al., 2009).

Carbon Dioxide, (CO2) Emission

Global warming has become one of the world's concern today and is as a result of carbon dioxide emission. The emission of CO2 is also thought to affect the sea levels by raising it. Global warmings thought to be caused by greenhouse gases traps heat that is then transmitted to the planet, thus warming it (Watson & Zhao, 2007). The major contributor to this effect over the last decades is human activities such as fossil fuel burning. Human beings burn the fuel that s then used to generate electricity, used in transportation, and as heat. The emissions of carbon dioxide result in changes in climate. When the climate is affected, the biological and physical systems in the world get endangered.

In 2001, the US was the leading emitter of CO2 worldwide, with 24%, while China was at 13% (Watson & Zhao, 2007). However, a later research reported China to have taken the lead by 2007. It was in the first time of history since US had been the leading emitter worldwide. According to Watson and Zhao (2007), 1959 to 2002, China was accountable for 9.3% of the world's total carbon dioxide emission. According to an international analysis conducted by the energy agency 87% of the emission in India as of 2004 was from coal combustion. As of 2018, China remains to be the leading country in carbon dioxide emission with a total of 9,467metric ton. US takes up the second position with 5,118 metric tons and India, the third with 2,277 metric tons of CO2 (Watson & Zhao, 2007). Coal remains the most abundant source of energy in China, which might explain the high emission rates. The great concern towards the figures is the rapid increase in the per capita emission. The scientists from their study confirmed that the total level of CO2 present in the atmosphere should not be greater than that which was before industrialization. With the rate that China is emitting the gas, the figure could get attained in approximately 50 years to come, which will endanger the whole world. Prolonged drought and unstable weather are some of the effects that will be resulted, as well as the melting of the glaciers (Watson & Zhao, 2007). Concerning an article published in May 2007 in San Francisco Chronicle on matters to do with the change of climate in Bangkok, it is evident that a global consensus on climate change is hard to achieve.

Besides, China aims not to abide by the rules of not using coal as its main source of energy since coal is the only fair priced fuel. By abiding by the rules, China government sees it as a way of benefiting the world as it suffers the cost. China is only willing to abide if the price of the other fuel will get lowered to the level of that of coal. That can only get achieved via technology innovations (Watson & Zhao, 2007). The world at large can contribute to the reduction of CO2 emission by using various methods such as going for coal alternatives like using nuclear, solar, and gas, minimizing the amount of energy consumption per capita and in factories, and lastly, by forbidding people from burning forests.

Policies and Actions for Protecting the Environment

According to article 26 of the Chinese constitution, it is the mandate of the government to make the environment conducive for all beings. It can do so by ensuring all beings are safe from harmful hazards and pollution. As a result, some laws got passed as follows: In 1984, a law of water pollution control and prevention was passed (Chow, 2008). In the year 1987, air pollution control and prevention laws got passed. In 1997, the law of energy conservation was passed, too, among other laws. However, due to the rapid increase damage, the Chinese are causing to their environment, the government needs to come up with even more policies (Wheeler et al., 2000). China's government must put more focus on the emission reduction and conservation of energy. The action, when implemented, will aid improve the economy and, on the other hand preventing environmental degradation.

First and foremost, the government needs to be stricter on upcoming projects to ensure its focus on the effect the project will have on the environment first. If a project gets anticipated to cause a more negative impact on the environment, then it should be terminated (Chow, 2014). There should be strict restrictions for anyone who wants to access their market, use the land, and even supply credit. By doing so, the government will have dealt with the issue of the rapid growth of sectors that poses the environment to great danger due to the pollution and energy they consume. Since exports contribute to energy consumption, export rebates should get adjusted by imposing more tax on exports (Chow, 2014). All policies that favor the establishment of more industries like lower land cost, electricity, and tax should get canceled. Obsolete methods of production should get eliminated (Wheeler et al., 2000). The country should also participate in national programs that aim at adopting the use of fossil fuels alternatives just to save their future generations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, China is the leading country when it comes to energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission. All forms of energy pose a great danger to the environment, but the non-renewable energies create more harm than renewable energies. Industrialization in developed and developing countries has been identified to be the major contributor to damaging the environment. It is so since they consume a lot of energy and emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn endangers the lives of all the ecosystem. The government of China has to place restrictions as explained above to help curb this issue.

References

Chow, G. C. (2008). China's energ...