Current energy crisis and its economic and environmental consequences: Intense human cooperation

Abstract

In this paper, the evolution of the energy use by human society is discussed, relating the energy, environmental and economic crisis, which appear to be closely linked. With the widespread use of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution, a major environmental problem was generated: the climate changes. The economic consequences of climate changes are discussed in Stern (2006). Possible solutions to confront climate change are presented in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2007). Some of these solutions are based on technological development, while others do not directly depend on the technology (paradigm shifts). Faced with the needs of a new paradigm suggested by the IPCC, the recent concept of sustainable triangular cells (2012) was introduced. The geometric representation of triangular cells, which can be linked to form a regular hexagon, is used to demonstrate a sustainable society, where human cooperation prevails. This model is in line with one of the pillars of the Third Industrial Revolution, indicated by Rifkin, where an intense collaboration between individuals in human society is suggested.