Beauvilliers+-+Annotation+-+Energy+Crossroads

Energy Crossroads
An annotation by Evan Beauvilliers 1. Energy Crossroads: Produced by Tiroir A Films, Released 2007

2. This film consists of a very general discussion of our energy problems. It focuses primarily on the oil crisis noting that we have reached peak discovery as of 1963 and will inevitably hit peak oil in the relatively near future. In the mean time, the consumption of energy is increasing at an alarming rate. This use is also disproportionate to population. For example, the U.S. has 5% of the world’s population, but it consumes 25% of its energy. Our use of energy is also highly inefficient. Looking at agriculture, on average, it takes 10 calories of energy input to make 1 calorie of food. In the mean time, our fuel efficiency has actually decreased (about 10%) in the past few decades. All of the energy problems facing the world are coming together with global warming to present this current generation with the “energy crossroads.” What we do about it now will affect the fate of the human race.

3. This film brings out a few sustainability concerns. Technologically we are dependent on fossil fuels which contribute to global warming. While renewable energy sources are in development, they are not getting the amount of funding they need or deserve. They are also not getting the government support they should be getting especially considering the breaks and benefits given to oil, coal, and nuclear power companies. Ecologically, global warming is the most obvious concern and by this point is well known enough not to warrant further description here. However, other ecological effects include acid rain, general poor air quality which leads to health problems for people, and the destruction of forests, mountains and other ecosystems for the sake of developing resources. Much of this stems from a cultural problem. We consume way too much. One statistic often used is that if the entire world population lived like Americans, then we would require anywhere from three to seven planets (depending on the estimate used) to supply the amount of resources and energy needed.

4. One of the most persuasive aspects of the film is the way they show near the beginning that nearly all human activity, especially in developed nations requires an outside (non human) input of energy. Everything we make, eat, and otherwise use or consume required energy to create, which was likely provided by fossil fuels. Because of this, we rely on energy, but if our sources are running out, which they logically must be, then we desperately need to develop alternate, sustainable, energy sources. Another good part of this film was the way in which it actually explored the economic feasibility and impact of alternative energy. Many films, books, etc. demand alternate energy, but they very often do not explore the economic consequences. What is particularly nice about this film is that it shows that there will be economic benefit in developing alternate energy in the long run in the form of jobs, decreased inflation as energy is more reliable (not running out and running costs up), etc.

5. One less compelling component of the film was that it states that increasing energy efficiency is the most clean and effective way to solve the energy problem. I would argue that instead the most effective and clean method would be to reduce consumption in the first place. If less energy is required, less will be produced, and this does not allow for the Jevon’s Paradox, which is the historical tendency of overall consumption increase with increased efficiency.

6. This film was very wide in scope. It discusses everything from problems with agriculture to the fact that house sizes are increasing. As such picking any one or even a few things to want to delve into deeper is difficult. That said, my particular area of interest is in photovoltaics. I would like to learn more about them and would like to develop them further myself which is why I am currently doing chemistry research in the area of solar technology.

7. I would recommend this film as a means of introducing any audience to the energy issues we are facing today. This includes both academic and general audiences, but again, I think it serves best as an introduction. It is very wide in scope and is good about including as many aspects of each problem as possible, but it sacrifices depth to do so, making it not as good an educational tool after the audience has been introduced to the topics already.

8. The film suggests many ways we can reduce our impact. It focuses on technological developments to produce sustainable power. It also states that the easiest way to reduce the problem is by increasing the efficiency of our energy use, both in cars and other applications, such as building smaller houses. The film focuses a lot more on describing the problems than coming up with solutions, so the solutions it does describe, mainly those just mentioned are fairly general, with more specific methods lacking in the film.

9. I believe the film contains so much already that it is probably best not to change it for educational purposes, but instead just make sure that it is used correctly (see above). As mentioned, it works much better as an introduction to sustainability problems than as any kind of more detailed material in the middle or end of a course.