How will the increasing energy needs and conservation of energy influence international peace , cooperation and security
Answers
The welfare of individuals, sustainable development of countries, and the life-supporting capacity of the global ecosystem depends on energy resources.
Energy supplies, particularly oil, are strategically important for industrial development and military weaponry. They help to increase national power. A nation endowed with sufficient energy resources can make its will prevail over the others.
The importance of energy security became evident after the first and second oil shock in October 1973 and 1979 respectively. The oil crisis showed the dependence of the industrialized world on the strategic raw materials from the Third World countries. It was recognized that oil is a powerful factor in global politics and governments should pay more attention to it.
People realized that conflict should be replaced by cooperation in order to ensure energy security. The International Energy Agency or IEA was created which played an important role in building negotiation platforms and making rules to limit the autonomy of governments and oil companies.
Oil is a natural resource which is limited in quantity and is non-renewable in the economic sense. Alternatives to oil are being developed but they are not a viable replacement for oil. This creates economic interdependence between the nations.
The ability to obtain enough energy supplies at a reasonable cost is an important aspect of energy security.
In the future, energy resources may be in greater demand due to population and economic growth. This may lead to more conflicts.
The IEA which consists of 29 OECD member countries plays an important role in international energy cooperation. But its capacity to secure global cooperation is limited because the major developing countries are not its members. So there is a need for more collaboration and open markets in energy policy. Multilateral cooperation is extremely necessary for the stability of energy markets and a peaceful evolution of the international system.
Collaborated efforts to conserve energy in order to meet its increasing demand can go a long way in ensuring international peace and security.
In today's world, this war has been focused on getting major oil and gas resources which are the backbone of modern energy needs.
As human population grows, these energy resources will deplete sooner leading to more competition and more chances of major conflicts around the world.
As humans we need to understand and accept this situation and work towards developing a world where energy conservation is paramount and where we rely less on this finite resources and more on renewable energy resources.
If we are less dependent on limited supplies, there will be more chances or cooperation among countries and less chances of conflicts, learning to better security and peace