28-29 december the energy crisis: some implications and alternatives.

Many signs indicate that the United States is faced with an energy crisis. On the one hand, there is the historic growth trend of energy consumption, which has been doubling every 8 to 10 years. On the other hand, there is growing public concern with the environmental and social consequences of producing that much energy and, further, of the social value of using it. Public concern has been expressed in many communities regarding the construction of power plants and transmission facilities; such concern promises to intensify in the future. There is an obvious need for the relevant scientific data, and for public understanding of them. The symposium is intended to help meet this need. Initially, one can either accept or reject the projection obtained by extending the consumption patterns and trends of the past; this establishes the basis for defining energy "demand." When this demand is determined, one may then choose among the various means of energy conversion which are conventional at present or which are in some stage of development. This requires an evaluation, for each means of power generation, of the available fuel resources, the environmental impact, and the relation to relevant economic and social issues. However, all of these considerations are themselves influenced by assumptions regarding future demand for power, and these, too. must be reexamined. For example, by analyzing the various components that presently constitute energy demand, various alternatives can be devised to maximize social return per unit of energy consumed. In turn, such alternatives may have important implications for the economic system, for social processes, and for life styles. The fore-