From this we see that, if the developing nations were to try — even partially — to catch up with the developed nations in energy consumption per capita — for example by mechanizing their agriculture and by industrial development — the world would be faced with an energy crisis of unimaginable proportions. And who can tell Vh billion impoverished people that they have to stay as they are? Since it takes several decades to introduce, on a large scale, any new energy technologies — and we only have a few decadest of fossil fuel reserves left — alternative scenarios must be considered. THE OPTIONS Essentially there are three: 1. Reduce the rate of growth of energy consumption. 2. The nuclear option. 3. The renewables. 1. Reduction in Energy Use If the annual rate of increase of energy consumption were brought down to zero, the proven reserves would last about a century and the ultimate reserves — if they could be exploited — would extend this a further century. But it is not realistic to expect the developing world to remain at its present low level of energy consumption even if the industrialized countries could reduce their energy-consumption tlf new exploitable reserves were discovered equal to the total in Table 1, the lifetime would be extended by only 14 years, at the 5% per annum increase rate or by 35 years at the 2% rate!
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