Экономические науки/13

 

Tiutiunnik Yana, student

Oleshitskaya O. V., assistant

Kriviy Rig Technical university, Ukraine

 

Fuel-energy and raw materials problems and the ways of their solution

 

Considerable growth of use of fuel-energy and raw materials on our planet.

Use of fuel-energy and raw materials grows on our planet by significant rates. Today industrial worker is armed by the energy approximately in 100 horsepower. About 2 kw of energy is produced per each inhabitant of the planet, and maintenance of normal quality of life requires not less than 10 kw. Such index is reached only in some most developed countries of the world. In this connection, and also in a view of the further growth of planet population, irrational use of energy and raw materials, non-uniform distribution of fuel-energy resources among various countries of the world, their production and consumption will also continue increasing.

Energy resources and their limited quantity on the planet.

However, energy resources of the planet are not boundless. There are a number of natural restrictions. If we estimate fuel quantity according to three categories (prospected, prospecting and potential), people will  have coal only for 600 years, oil – for 90 years, natural gas – for 50 years, uranium – for 27 years. In other words, all kinds of fuel according to all categories will have been burnt for 800 years.

According to the target rates of nuclear power development, total stocks of uranium will be reached in the first decade of XXI century and all stocks of nonrestorable energy sources will be burnt down in 80 years. Therefore, from the scientific point of view, the basic reason of fuel-energy problem sharpening is growth of natural resources scales, involved into economic circulation and their limits on our planet. From the public point of view such reasons are relations of monopolistic property which stipulate injurious use of natural resources.

Huge losses of energy resources took place in wasteful economy of the former USSR and the countries of Eastern Europe. Nowadays CIS countries spend for production of national income units twice more raw materials than in the developed Western countries.

Basic ways of fuel-energy and raw materials problem solution are the following:

1.                      Establishing national property on all natural resources. It will protect them from injurious use and, in a certain way, weaken process of robbery by imperialist countries, first of all fuel-energy and raw materials sources by developing countries;

2.                      Essential change of pricing mechanism on natural resources;

3.                      Opposition of integration strategy of actions of countries-exporters of fuel-energy and raw materials resources to the developed countries. This strategy should concern both extraction volume of all kinds of resources, and quotas of their sale on foreign markets;

4.                      Writing-off all debts of underdeveloped countries. For payment only percent on these debts do not suffice the means received from the imperialistic states for export of a source of raw materials;

5.                      Necessity of dictatorship rescue of international capitalist organizations, first of all, International Monetary Fund. The reason is that granting "help" to the developing countries is carried out only if they follow all practical recommendations of International Monetary Fund in the field of internal social and economic policy. (So, in Latin America 25 million children starve. After IMF has granted to Argentina the loan of 290 million USD, its economy begin to monopolize quickly and hunger captured almost half of population of the country);

6. Production growth of finished commodity. It would give a chance to increase considerably export incomes even at present price situation in the world market;

7.                      Giving out considerable financial, human and technical resources by the developed capitalist countries to the Third World countries for natural resources investigation and working out, their processing, transportation and distribution on the fair prices for substantial growth of currency incomes and establishment of economic sovereignty; it will stimulate intensive development of agriculture;

8.                      Integration of all countries efforts for global problems solution, substantial growth of expenses for ecological crisis overcoming due to arms race easing and reduction of military expenses. In today’s world twice less money is spent on environment protection, although stabilization of ecological situation on the planet needs much more attention and investment. That is why, it is expedient to create original fund of ecological safety for liquidation of danger sources to environment at the expense of the countries which have caused the greatest damage to the planet;

9.                      Carrying out nature protection policy by means of administrative and economic levers of production stimulation of such machines, technical equipment and power stations which would not pollute environment, provide saving of all fuel-energy and raw material resources, expansion of wood plantings and waste reduction;

10.                 Promoting activity of various public organizations and political parties on global problems solving; creating new organizations which would consider life preservation on the Earth as their primary goal; creating adequate conditions for human existence on the planet;

11.                 Using complex of economic levers to control environment quality, including grants for manufacturing of non-polluting production, for performance of state ecological projects; introducing fines for all kinds of environmental contamination; bonus payments for ecology preservation and improvement; preferential or discriminating crediting, taxation and pricing; ecological insurance and others.

Change of traditional energy sources to new, more perfect ones took place several times during our civilization existence. It happened not because the old energy source was exhausted. The sun always shone and warmed people: but nevertheless once people procured fire and began burn down wood.

Discussion about energy can last forever; alternative forms of its use are innumerable. But they can be provided only under the condition of development of efficient and economic methods. It is not so important, what your opinion is about energy needs, energy sources, its quality, and cost price. Obviously, we should agree with the words of unknown wise man: "There are no simple decisions; there is only a reasonable choice".

Literature:

1. Гаврилов В.П. Чёрное золото планеты. – М., 1993.

2. Голдин А. Океаны энергии. – М., 1996.

3. Крюков В.А. Полные канистры и пустые карманы. – М., 1994.

4. Максаковский В. П. География 10: Учебное пособие. – М., 1999.

5. Радионова И. А. Глобальные проблемы человечества.  – К., 1994.

6. Юдасин Л.С. Энергетика: проблемы и надежды. – Харьков, 2001.