Hot, Flat and Crowded - Essay Example

Hot, Flat and Crowded Human Needs The book Hot, Flat and Crowded by Friedman helps the readers see the world form a different angle and helps in establishing the human needs and solutions to impending crises. Global warming and rise in the middle class population worldwide can make our planet unstable to live in. The world population is growing at a striking rate and in the middle of this century it is estimated to reach 9 billion. Most of this growth is going to happen in those developing countries which will be inefficient to sustain the growth and as such will create a situation where there will be fuel deficiency and extremism. There will be a growing demand for energy supplies and natural resources which are diminishing in today’s era. Wealth is getting concentrated in the hands of petro-dictators in countries, which have a rich supply of oil. Significant climate change is occurring and some areas of the world do not have electricity. Specie of plants and animals are getting wiped out at a shocking rate. If these problems are not efficiently managed, then they may cause serious disruptions for many generations to come. For solution of these problems we will need new tools and infrastructure, innovative thinking and joining hands with others. All these will lead to growth of new industries and scientific breakthroughs and will shape the Energy-Climate era. There are some states which are poor and government policies are inefficient and in these places there will be rapid growth of population. These countries like Afghanistan, Liberia, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Yemen will have significant young population. If their basic needs like food, shelter, education and employment are not met, then they can become violent and can lead to civil unrest and extremism (Friedman, 5, 26, 27, 29, 32). Solution for the Global Environmental Crisis The main focus of the author has been on how to change the climate system through proper management and also how to preserve the depleting ecosystems like forests, rivers, oceans and various species of plants and animals. There is no easy way to achieve these goals. There are no alternate ways to produce energy other than fuel like oil and natural gas. If the entire transport system of this world is shut down then carbon emission can be reduced by 14 percent. If all industrial, commercial and residential activities are closed down then carbon emission can be reduced by 68 percent. These conditions are not practical and can never be achieved and so oil and natural gas will be always in demand. So there cannot be any quick solutions. Massive amounts of investments are required to reduce the global greenhouse gases. From an optimistic point of view there are renewable energy technologies available today and also the opportunities for energy efficiency are enough to make a strong impact on climate change and price of energy. The goal is to avoid the rising level of carbon dioxide. A huge global industrial energy project is required for this purpose and which will also leave room for developing countries like India and China to take their time to become more energy efficient. (Friedman, 209-212) It is estimated that carbon dioxide will double by middle of this century. The target is to avoid this scenario. Several ways have been laid down for this. Fuel efficiency has to be doubled of two billion cars. Driving should be reduced of two billion cars. Efficiency of coal plants should be increased upto 60 percent. Coal should be replaced by natural gas for 1,400 electric plants, and wind power should be increased by eighty fold. Current global nuclear capacity should be doubled as substitute for electricity generated by coal. Two billion cars should drive on ethanol and for this purpose one-sixth of the world’s agricultural land should be used for harvesting the required crop. There should be absolutely no cutting and burning of forests. Conservation tillage should be adopted in all agricultural soils. Usage of electricity for domestic and commercial purpose should be reduced by 25 percent. Friedman mentions that it will be a miracle to manage even one of these processes although these are what required. (Friedman, 213) Winners and Losers In this difficult situation only those countries can emerge as winners which are rich in resources. A country with a lot of agricultural land, forests, mines, oil and raw materials can beat the other countries. The cost of the way energy and natural resources are used is determined by the society, market and the nature through carbon taxes, gasoline taxes or by changing the weather that causes destabilization. In this scenario, only the most efficient manufacturers, countries, communities and families will survive the longest. An efficient company must create a collaborative environment with other companies to come up with innovative plans to enhance growth, mobility, housing, comfort, security and how to gain most from minimum resources. Energy bills can be reduced by finding proper strategy to power the future. For example installation of solar and wind power are expensive, but the sun and wind will remain free forever. On the other hand installation of fossil fuel systems may be cheaper today, but the prices of coal, oil and natural gas are always fluctuating due to rising carbon taxes and market demand. As developing countries are expanding their economies, resources are no longer infinite or free. So, countries which rely on fossil fuels will face high energy costs in the future. A country which rely on clean technologies like wind turbine or solar panel can know the cost of delivering energy for ten to twenty years. Currently, there are technologies that reduce the cost of installations of wind turbines or solar panels. (Friedman, 323-325) Energy Policies It is necessary to set standards and regulations for energy producing processes. Imposing price signals is absolutely necessary to encourage the market to find innovative ways to give us abundant, cheap and reliable electrons to feed an Internet of energy for smart grids and homes. Energy efficiency is also required along with efficient use of natural resources so that we can get more power from lesser use of energy and natural resources. This will also result in reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. In short, the right energy policy is to take care of energy efficiency in cost effective ways because that is cheaper than producing new electrons. Simultaneously, it is important to nurture cheapest electrons which are free of emissions. (Friedman, 269) Strengths and Weaknesses in Friedman’s approach As stated in this paper, Friedman gives a list of steps to handle the global crisis. But, he himself says most of them are far fetched and is not always practical. He mentions many individual pioneers but that is only to re-mould the national consciousness, which is a different issue. The book is filled with obstacles to reach the desired goal and this leaves the reader with a pessimistic mood on the current situation. On one point Friedman is right that green revolution can come from the people of America rather than from the political leaders. Conclusion In the current scenario of global energy crisis, Friedman has attempted to give an optimistic view. Although the situation is alarming, he has done immense research. Every problem cannot have solutions, but he has come up with some ideas that are worth taking into consideration. He has explained how the entire issue has gone into political level and he has tried to find ways how to overcome the political barriers and accomplish something worthwhile. Reference 1. Friedman, Thomas L. Hot, Flat and Crowded, USA: Douglas & Mclntyre Ltd., 2008 Read More