Since the Covid 19 pandemic in early 2020, there has been an energy crisis in the world system, in the face of the great turbulence and unpredictability established by the world.
There has been a huge drop in international demands and prices, caused by the interruption of economic activity and the increase in unemployment in China, Europe and the Americas.
As a result of the economic regression around the world, the energy industry has had a very fast and large impact on business, because even with the spread of vaccines, which helped in the gradual resumption of activities in the economy of Asian, European and U.S. countries, the energy supply did not respond to this resumption.
For technical difficulties and also the non-reversal of the decision-making of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) to reduce production in response to the low demand and consumption caused by the health crisis, caused this slowdown to remain.
Continue reading the article until the end and learn more about this topic that still causes losses to this day.
What is an energy crisis?
First, let’s contextualize how the energy we consume is generated for your better understanding. Shall we go together?
Throughout our civilization, we have always sought increasingly efficient ways to produce and store the energy we use. After all, it is with her that we count on the heating of the environments, for cooking, to give greater comfort and more health to all, besides making the machines of the industry work.
In view of this, man learned to use fire, oil, wind, sun and even the strength of water as the best source of energy production, among others.
However, we have two types in the classification of energy sources, which are:
- renewable ones, capable of regenerating in a shorter time and are inexhaustible (biodiesel);
- non-renewable, formed by the decomposition of organic matter that requires many years for use (coal).
In view of the above, we can say that the energy crisis comes from a problem formed together and that causes several other natural and structural problems, which affect the energy generation that we need.
In other words, blackouts, higher energy consumption counts, and direct interference in the prices of goods and services, may also be caused by the countries’ political crises.
How is the energy we use generated?
We already understand that the energy that facilitates everyday life is formed by renewable or non-renewable sources, which are inexhaustible or innotime to become fit for human use, respectively.
With this, from the 1970s, with the gradual increases in oil, a global consensus was reached on the need for energy production by other sources, aiming at awareness around the world.
Scientists confirm that the energy produced from fossil fuel is finite and still emits twice as much greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, so they transform the planet’s climatic conditions.
In order to reduce the increase in the energy crisis, Brazil becomes a pioneer of a differentiated energy matrix, with the use of sustainable fuel, through renewable sources, such as hydroelectric power and biodiesel.
What are the causes of the energy crisis in Brazil?
The accumulation of the energy crisis worldwide, including Brazil, has been showing its signs of severity, because our country is still very dependent on power generation through hydroelectric plants, contributing as one of the main causes that can foster future problems.
For, with the lack of recurrent rains that can supply the reservoirs, their capacity becomes scarce so that they can produce the energy necessary for our consumption, harming the generation of enough for the population because they are almost always below their levels.
In addition to the water shortage, the main cause of the problem that increases our energy crisis is on the degradation of our biomes. That is, fires and deforestation directly influence the circulation of air and the transfer of moisture from the Amazon to other regions of the country. Not to mention that the springs and watercourses are also damaged.
Above all, the worsening of the current energy crisis is also due to the lack of good planning, with decision-making that reacts quickly and effectively to all these harmful causes.
And what are its consequences?
The consequences are short, medium and long term for the population, especially in the economic and political spheres, which we can list below:
- higher values in energy bills for the final consumer with the use of more expensive flags;
- services and products that require more energy in production with higher values;
- inflation and worsening in the economic crisis;
- increased pollution with the use of thermoelectric plants;
- blackout due to power overload.
What are the measures to contain an energy crisis?
Among the many measures that can be applied, as a means of avoiding an energy crisis in our country, the thermoelectric plants are triggered, however, this procedure ends up being more polluting for the environment and more expensive for the final consumer.
In addition to this emergency measure, others can be used, such as:
- diversification of the energy matrix with the use of renewable sources;
- adoption of programmatic power cuts;
- awareness campaigns and broad communication.
How does the world deal with the energy crisis?
According to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the tightening of the world market in liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption and further the reduction in the supply of major oil producers have placed the world at the center of a “first global energy crisis”, because of increased imports of LNG into Europe, resulting from the crisis in Ukraine, as well as the recovery of Chinese potential in fuel consumption.
Global energy crisis: what is the turning point?
For the first time the IEA predicts a spike in demand for fossil fuels, which could generate an energy crisis around the world.
However, from 2025 on, greenhouse gas emissions will begin to be reduced, encouraging a greener future, with the support of world governments to make this a definitive turning point towards a cleaner, more accessible and safer energy system for all.
This acceleration in the transition to clean energy production was due to the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and so, officials across the globe have recognized the importance of transforming the world energy landscape so that it will not be harmed for decades if it remains in the same current mold.
