By Institute for Energy Research ——Bio and Archives--September 23, 2014
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“Increasing electricity consumption per capita can directly stimulate faster economic growth and indirectly achieve enhanced social development—especially for low and medium human development countries…When…electricity is used for pumping water, providing light, and refrigerating food and medicines, a community can significantly improve their living conditions. Electricity plays a key role in both economic and social development.”China and India have experienced the benefits of this increased energy use first hand. World Bank data reveal a positive relationship in both countries between electricity generation, primary energy consumption, life expectancy, and improved sanitation facilities and an inverse correlation between all of those indicators and child mortality. In short, energy has been closely tied to better living conditions in both countries: While other factors besides energy use certainly have an impact on the quality of life, energy is ultimately necessary for a thriving society. As Julian Simon once noted, energy is “the master resource”—the driving force behind almost all other productive forces. The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook states it well:
“Energy alone is not sufficient for creating the conditions for economic growth, but it is certainly necessary. It is impossible to operate a factory, run a shop, grow crops or deliver goods to consumers without using some form of energy. Access to electricity is particularly crucial to human development as electricity is, in practice, indispensable for certain basic activities, such as lighting, refrigeration and the running of household appliances, and cannot easily be replaced by other forms of energy.”Why then would the UN seek, through carbon dioxide regulations, to make access to this life-changing resource more expensive for billions around the globe who can least afford it?
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The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. IER maintains that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society.