ENERGY TRANSITIONS
OK - been wanting to get this post up forever....
First, some history.
At the beginning of any resemblance of "society", wood provided the overwhelming majority of our energy needs. In the US, it was a major source of energy even into the 1900's, and the dominant source before then. Then the US started to use whale oil for energy - mostly lighting. Peak whaling came around 1850 - the same time coal starts its production. While the whaling and wood cutting subsides, coal production ramps up. Next we have oil coming into the picture - at first just for kerosene to replace whale oil for lighting. In the 1920's, oil ramps up to the high level of today - the major source of US energy. After the oil rush early in the 1900's, we then see the start of nat gas, followed by hydro, then nuclear and renewables.
Some very interesting things to be learned here....up until today, every one of these shifts have moved to energy sources that are less carbon intense per fuel used then the previous dominate form (coal is "cleaner" than burning wood, oil kinda "saved the whales" if ya get my drift). Now I am not saying coal or oil is "clean" - just better than wood or whales lol!! The big issue is the massive increases in per person energy use - it has been exponential. Also - and more "on topic", is that there has always been huge amounts of money to be made when these "shifts" occur. The early boys who cut down all the trees made a bundle, as did the big whalers followed by the winners in the coal fields and the oil and nat gas folks.
IMO we are at a time when the next shift is starting. What will the next big winner be? (I am not certain btw!) Maybe nat gas? It has been a big mover and is inching up on oil. Maybe some form of nuclear? Or will it be renewables? One thing is for sure - wood was king for eons, whale oil was king for 100 yrs or so, coal was king for about the sane amount of time. Oil has been king for 60 years or so..... the time between these changes has been going down and down....
There will be much more money made on these next shifts in energy as the entire world demand is and will continue to just keep growing and growing. Finding the winners will produce extrapolated gains to those who find the winners!!!!
OK .... want to write more but I can get a bit boring so I just hope ya get my drift :)
