As individual countries and corporations we started from a good place but evolved to a very unproductive path. Experts tell us that unless we do a much better job the environmental damage will be irrepairable! That better job must come soon and be well executed.
There are two sayings about efficiency planning that are unquestioned. "The cleanest energy is the energy we do not use" And "Reduce before you produce" Neither of these guidelines is being well executed. Our focus in on renewable energy and renewable energy storage in a big way. So let's make a shift to Energy Demand Reduction As A First Priority! It is estimated that thirty per cent of all renewable energy is wasted! In individual studies Energy Efficiency Done Right (EEDR) has found almost all demand reductions projects can self fund! They will pay back the cost of implemention and then can fund a renewable project! This is much better efficiency planning that can lead to much better results.
Let's consider Energy Demand Reduction As A First Priority on a very large scale. Lets say a country is importing 25% of the energy they consume. We will begin with an anaylsis of how the government uses energy. Our goal will be to reduce 20-50% os the energy use in their infrastucture. We have done this with demonstration projects! Then the government can initiate a program to incentivize businesses to dramaticly reduce energy consumption in a similar fashion. Next would be a similar appoach for the general public. Our research indicates that a reduction of energy imports could be significantly or totally eliminated.
As a planet, we have not develop functional efficiency planning or we would not be such a dangerous place. We should all take a hard look at our energy use and minimize it so we can get much better use of the renewable energy we produce.