Energy, Productivity, and Economic Dynamics

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This chapter explores the intricate relationships between fossil fuels, energy consumption, and economic productivity, highlighting significant historical shifts post-oil crisis. The discussion analyzes how energy dependency varies across different sectors, contemplating the potential for decoupling energy use from economic growth. It also addresses the complexities of energy efficiency, Jevons Paradox, and the implications of energy costs on societal advancement and technological evolution.

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How much energy is needed for GDP growth? Would our civilization have developed at the same rate without fossil fuels? Could we potentially do the same things we're currently doing but with significantly less energy? How different would the world look if we'd developed nuclear energy much earlier? Why can't anything go faster than light? Will the heat death of the universe really be "the end" for everything? How can difficult concepts be communicated in simple ways that nevertheless avoid being misleading or confusing? Is energy conservation an unbreakable law? How likely is it that advanced alien civilizations exist? What are S-risks? Can global civilizations be virtuous? What is panspermia? How can we make better backups of our knowledge and culture?

Anders Sandberg is a researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies in Sweden. He was formerly senior research fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at University of Oxford. His research deals with emerging technologies, the ethics of human enhancement, global and existential risks, and very long-range futures. Follow him on Twitter / X at @anderssandberg, find him via his various links here.

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