Energy aplenty

THE World Energy Council(WEC) assures that the energyconsumers across the globewill receive more efficient,cleaner and less obtrusiveenergy services in the future.This is the leading conclusionof a keynote report on global long termenergy prospects presented at a meeting,organised by )4,Ec, at Tokyo in the second week of October. The report whichgarners information from the energyindustries of more than 100 countries,says that the world will depend veryheavilyon fossil fuels- oil, gas and coal- until the year 2020, a period that willcontinue to be shaped bypresent energy structures.After that, however, the possibihfies begin to diverge.

In one set of scenario,increasing environmentalconcerns lead to a reductionin fossil fuels, aided by technological developments. Atthe same time, it does riotrule out the possibility of thecontradictory trend setting in, that is,environment taking a backseat resultingin fewer pressures for a change.However, one issue emerges clearly inthe wEc report. It does not envisage anymajor energy shortages. Instead, it predicts that estimates of the world's available energy resource base will continueto increase.