Smil ch. 6 part 1

consequences of a fossil fuel economy:

• urbanization
• extremely destructive weapons
• environmental degradation

use of fuel but also efficiency have increased dramatically

40% of agricultural production depends on industrially manufactured nitrogen (70% in China)

factory mass production expanded mass consumption:
fossil fuel made it possible to use larger volumes of products at lower prices
electrification simplified factory organization
the assembly line made factories much more efficient

notice the pattern--one sector after another requires fewer and fewer workers, meaning more people can do other things

transportation changed the shape of cities

electricity was key to global rapid communication
but that progressed slowly because it was capital intensive and the market was small when cost to use was high

then mass ownership of portable electronic devices such as laptops and phone

The role of innovation (:t

Smil: energy use decoupled from GNP:

• we keep developing more efficient technologies
• new technologies allow us to do more with less
• 
  

but what is the impact of continuing growth?
we can reduce the amount of energy needed
but is that enough to prevent the problems of fossil fuels?
is there an alternative to an economy based on growth?

Paper topics:

• oil prices--how shaped by politics, impact on the economy, impact of technological advance
• (1) take some economic change--what part of it comes from technological change
• agriculture:
  
• what goes into the amount of labor needed to grow your own food (energy sources, technology)
• tradeoff of human vs. animal/mechanical energy
• (2) compare two places in similar stages of development: how was energy/technology different because of geography and culture?
• (3) interaction between technology, population and economic growth
• take two case studies and compare them for any of these topics