Keyword: energy efficiency

The Demand for the Export of Agrofuels Threatens Livelihoods in Southern Africa

Picture: subcomandanta Michelle Pressend - More than 80 percent of the population is still dependent on biomass for energy in the Southern African region, particularly, wood, cow dung and coal. It is mainly women and children in rural areas that bear the brunt of the lack of access to modern, safe and affordable energy. They are the ones that collect wood and search for coal in and around operating and abandoned mines.  As a consequence of no access to modern, safe, clean and affordable energy -- such as electricity -- many...

The Fuel Duel

Is biofuel the answer for energy security? The simple answer is no, but it can play a role in an energy mix, argues Bjorn Stigson of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Much also depends on the new generation of biofuels that are being developed, which will not be dependent on food crops.  Looking for new solutions to the world's energy crisis, the tendency is that car producers and the oil industry are now divorcing says economist Ruiz Quintans. The automobile...

The Oil Crisis and the Search for a New Way of Living

Picture: howstuffworks.com Saliem Fakir - We live in interesting times that promise both peril and opportunity. Things have changed so fast within the span of just a year that it's putting a strain on our ability to adapt. It took five years from 2002-2007 for the oil price to go up by $60/barrel; but in the last 12 months, the price of oil surged by an additional $70/barrel. The surge in oil prices is making life for everybody uncomfortable, as its ripple effects are being felt throughout the global and South African economies. It...