[DDIntel] Energy Poverty, Investing, and World Happiness

Jan 22

We are using electricity for a wide variety of things, from menial things like doing house chores and heating a sandwich to more important things like producing industrial materials, running cars, and building artificially intelligent tools and robots. The usual rule is that the more electricity (or energy) a society or civilization uses, the more advanced it is. This rule is called the Kardashev scale, and it hypothetically measures the grade of a civilization’s technological advancement, based on the amount of energy it uses and generates. However, something similar to this scale can be applied to the countries on our planet - the more electricity they use per capita, the more advanced that country is, from an economical and usually technological point of view.

It comes as no surprise that the top 2 countries that use the most electricity are China and the US. China is leading regarding overall consumption, followed closely by the US. However, considering that China has a population of 1.4 billion and the US has a population of around 330 million, it means that the US uses much more electricity per capita, meaning that the US is more advanced as a country. You can make the same comparison regarding any two countries you choose, and you will notice that the amount of electricity a country uses, per capita, is directly proportional to the GDP per capita, and it determines how rich and technologically developed a country is.

And the same can be said for the other side of the coin - the poor countries like those in Africa, have access to and consume very little electricity. This is also true for many rural areas, even in developed countries.

Energy poverty is an issue that affects people all over the world, both in developed and developing countries. In the developing world, access to modern, reliable, and affordable energy sources is often limited, particularly in rural areas. According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 1.1 billion people, or 14% of the global population, do not have access to electricity. This lack of access to electricity limits economic development and opportunities, as it hinders businesses from operating and households from participating in the formal economy. It also has negative health effects as the use of traditional primitive fuels such as wood, dung, and coal for cooking and heating can have negative health impacts due to indoor air pollution.

Increasing people's access to modern, dependable, and affordable energy sources can help them escape poverty and promote economic development. Increased productive use of energy can significantly contribute to human progress and economic development.

However, increased energy consumption has an impact on the environment. Climate change is a major environmental concern because it can have a wide range of negative consequences for the planet. To address this issue, more energy must be used in a more sustainable manner, such as by investing in renewable energy sources. By doing so, we can improve the lives of poor people while also protecting our planet for future generations.

Let’s now move on to this week’s top article picks for DDIntel. Read on!