Energy Crisis in the World

CBSE CLASS 7 Published on 28 January 2021

An energy crisis is defined as the shortage of the supply of energy resources to the economy. Energy crisis 2019 had been in many countries due to overpopulation, poor infrastructure and many more reasons. The population of a nation demands energy resources to carry out its daily tasks. Energy crisis simply means a shortage of energy resources. 


In the Middle East, the energy crisis was triggered due to the falling rate of the US Dollar, oil price speculation, shortage of oil reserves etc. This energy crisis happened in the year 2000 and was seen for a decade. 


Now let us talk about the energy crisis in India. As we have seen above how the energy crisis in the Middle East countries has been caused, so now, let us come to India. India is one of the overpopulated countries. As we have discussed above, when a nation is overpopulated, it leads to poor infrastructure. Due to the lack of energy resources, the energy crisis happens. 


India has been facing this energy crisis from the past two decades. There is a deficit of power supply due to which even the normal needs of the people are not being fulfilled. The demand for energy resources is high while the supply is quite less. This is one of the reasons why India is facing an energy crisis. There are several reasons which we will be discussing further.


What are the causes of energy crisis in India? This is a very valid question. As we have seen above that India is already facing an energy crisis due to several reasons. But there are several causes as to why there is an energy crisis in India. 


1. Increase in Demand:


Demand for electricity has always been there in India, and now it is increasing. From 1980 to 1990, the demand for energy resources was increased from 9% to 10%. Ranging from agriculture to domestic use, the demand for the energy supply is increasing but India is not able to meet such demands, thereby leading to the energy crisis.    


2. Targets v/s Achievements:


There are certain targets and achievements which are set up by the nation for achieving growth and restoring its economy. But there are gaps between these targets and achievements that lead to the energy crisis. The Economic Survey of 1996-97 identified this gap as one of the reasons for the economic and energy crisis in India.



3. Other Reasons:


There are several other reasons which affect the energy resources. These reasons lead to the deficit of such resources. These other factors include:


  1. Use of obsolete machinery
  2. Supply of lower quality of coal to the thermal power plants
  3. Lack of proper administration among soldiers
  4. Lack of efficient working engineers, skilled labour & technicians

These are some of the causes of the deficit in energy resources in India. The energy shortage has been due to resource constraints. Moreover, the labourers, engineers and technicians work in a half-hearted way which leads to this energy crisis.  


We have seen some causes of the energy crisis in the above section. Now, let us take a look at some of the effects of energy crisis. The energy crisis affects the economy in three major ways i.e. increase in oil prices, financial downturns and lack of renewable energies. The economy is affected due to:


1. Overconsumption:


If we excessively use the energy resources like oil, gas, coal etc, then it will lead to the energy crisis. For instance, if we excessively use water, oxygen and other resources, then it will lead to pollution which will be harmful to the environment. Thus, we must not over-consume the resources that are being offered to us. 


2. The increased price of Fuel:


Due to the increase in the use of fossil fuels, the cost of such resources also increases. These fossil fuels are limited therefore, they must not be overused. But as the population is increasing, the demand for such fuel resources is also increasing. The demand increases and the quantity decreases which leads to the energy crisis.


3. Political instability:


Energy crisis leads to sub-economic disturbances i.e. political disturbances. The global economy gets crashed due to the energy crisis. Fossil fuel resources are one topic that can create political disturbances. Thus, the decrease in resources leads to socio-political disturbances. 


4. Tourism Industry:


The tourism industry is mainly based on the rise and fall of fuel and energy prices. The fall and increase in the prices come from the energy crisis. With the rise in fuel prices, there will also be a rise in tourism costs as well. The tourism industry suffers immensely due to the energy crisis.  


These are some of the effects that the energy crisis has on the economy and the environment. When fuel, oil and gas are excessively used, they lead to the energy crisis. 


What is energy crisis and how it can be prevented? 


Well, the energy crisis is defined as the shortage of energy supply in the country. The excessive demand and low quantity lead to the energy crisis. The causes and effects have been already discussed above. So, let us look at how the energy crisis can be prevented.

  

  1. The main focus should be on renewable resources. The non–renewable resources are decreasing day by day. So people need to move towards renewable resources. We must use steam, solar or wind energy which can be renewed in the future for various purposes.


  1. Buy energy-efficient products like CFLs or LEDs. They use very few amounts of energy and lasts much longer than regular bulbs. These LEDs and CFLs must be used for commercial purposes. This will lead to less demand for energy thereby, resulting in reduced energy crisis. 


  1. In order to conserve energy resources, lighting controls like solar panels must be used. They help in conserving energy thereby reducing lighting costs.   


  1. The nations must focus on reducing the greenhouse effect which is depleting the resources and bringing climate change in the present scenario. 


  1. With the growing population, the consumption of resources is also increasing. This leads to an increase in global warming leading to climate change and resource depletion. Thus, all the countries must focus on reducing the greenhouse effect that is harmful to the environment and humans both. 


These are some of the ways in which the energy crisis can be sorted out. These ways will slowly and gradually help in reducing the energy crisis that India is suffering from.

  

It is not difficult to write about the energy crisis in the world essay. Class 7th students must focus on the above points mentioned in the article to gain good marks in the exams. Along with gaining good marks, they must also understand the effects and causes which lead to resource depletion. Thus, students must write about causes, effects and other positive or negative points about the energy crisis. 


You may also like to read:

Importance of Vocational Education