3 ms·
You are thinking in linear terms. Humanity's historical energy use definitely doesn't look linear, more like exponential - https://gailtheactuary.files.wordpres
by infinite8s 9y ago
You are thinking in linear terms. Humanity's historical energy use definitely doesn't look linear, more like exponential - https://gailtheactuary.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/world-energy-consumption-by-source.png https://gailtheactuary.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/world-ene...
I imagine that if we were able to tap into deep geothermal energy the continuing exponential growth would eventually pass some sort of geothermal limit point.
- foota 9y agoThis is true, but I know for a fact that US energy use at least has roughly dropped or remained stable for the last decade. Increase in energy use is typically driven by people's increasing incomes and their ability to buy energy for using appliances and such. We can expect energy use to increase significantly globally until everyone is at a base level of income, but after that it should be capped at population growth.
- mirimir 9y agoRemember Asimov's city-planet Trantor. It relied in part on geothermal energy (core taps) with huge radiator arrays at the poles.