What are Some of the Most Common Energy Sources?

Energy resources refer to materials and natural processes that can provide humans with a large amount of energy under current socio-economic and technological conditions, ^[1] including coal, oil, natural gas, wind, rivers, ocean currents, tides, grass fuels and solar radiation.

1. Classify according to its form, characteristics, or level of transformation and utilization.

Since the industrial revolution in the 1870s, consumption of fossil fuels has increased dramatically. In the early days, coal was the main factor. After entering the 20th century, especially since the Second World War, the extraction and consumption of oil and natural gas began to increase significantly, and continued to grow at a rate of 200 million tons per year. Several western oil companies have monopolized the world's oil exploration, extraction, production, sales, trade and storage and transportation. They use political and economic strength to drive down oil prices and make huge profits. Western developed countries have benefited from it, making rich countries richer, while Asian, African and Latin American oil producers and exporters are still poor and backward. To this end, the Middle East countries have launched an initiative to oppose oil in order to safeguard national sovereignty and oil economic rights and interests.

Energy Resources Resources Situation

The competition for world energy resources is becoming increasingly fierce. Since the beginning of the new century, the contradiction between limited world resources and unlimited economic growth has become increasingly prominent. Although scientific and technological progress and increased productivity make the prospects of human resources available more and more broad. However, the rapid growth of world resource demand and the limited and uneven distribution of existing resources have made the battle for world resources intensified. Take oil as an example. At present, the international oil price has exceeded the US $ 60 per barrel mark. In August 2005, it even exceeded US $ 70 per barrel, which is rare in history. At the same time, the global mineral resources have gradually formed a monopoly, causing the prices of mineral resources to continue to rise. Since the 1990s, 10 multinational mining companies have controlled 50% of the world's copper resources. Five multinational mining companies control more than 80% of the world s nickel ore resources. Although the world economy has undergone structural reforms, its ability to resolve the oil crisis has improved significantly more than 20 years ago. However, the rapid growth of international crude oil prices still has a great negative impact on the world economy.

In addition to economic factors, international political factors are also important reasons for the grim world resource situation. Some great powers start from their own interests and try to use political and military means. Controlling the world's strategic resources has led to an intensified scramble for world resources and a severe market supply and demand situation. One of the purposes for the United States to launch the Iraq war was to control oil resources in the Middle East. As a result, political turmoil in the region resulted in a significant decline in oil production and exports. Japan has disrupted Sino-Russian oil cooperation, and it has strategic considerations to curb China's energy supply. As a result, Russia has increased the price of energy cooperation. These factors have contributed to the rise in international energy prices, not only exacerbating political and economic turmoil in oil producing countries or regions, but also affecting the psychological expectations of both the supply and demand sides of the international energy market. As a result, international oil prices have continued to rise. At the same time, the situation of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in international energy is disrupted, and the vicious competition of strategic resources in the world is triggered. Energy issues are increasingly intertwined with political, economic and social issues. This increases the difficulty and complexity of solving energy problems. Driven by "national interests," the struggle for energy resources in countries around the world will intensify, and energy issues will become an important cause of future international conflicts and unrest.

Energy Resources Energy Security

Energy security is a global issue. Every country has the right to use energy resources reasonably to promote its own development. It is impossible for most countries to obtain energy security guarantees without international cooperation. To achieve a stable and orderly development of the world economy, the international community needs to promote economic globalization to develop in a balanced, inclusive, and win-win direction, and the international community must establish a new energy security concept of mutually beneficial cooperation, diversified development, and coordinated protection. In recent years, the price of oil on the international market has fluctuated sharply, affecting the development of the global economy. The reasons are multiple and complex, and the international community needs to resolve them in many ways through strengthening dialogue and cooperation. To maintain world energy security, China holds that the international community should focus on the following three areas:

Strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in development and utilization. To achieve world energy security, it is necessary to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between energy exporters and consumers, and energy consumers. The international community should strengthen consultation and coordination of energy policies, improve the monitoring and emergency response mechanism of the international energy market, promote the development of oil and gas resources to increase supply, realize globalization and diversification of energy supply, ensure a stable and sustainable international energy supply, and maintain a reasonable supply of energy. International energy prices ensure that the energy needs of countries are met.

Form a research and development and promotion system for advanced technologies. Saving energy and promoting diversified energy development are the long-term plans for achieving global energy security. The international community should vigorously strengthen the research and development and promotion of energy-saving technologies, promote the comprehensive use of energy, and support and promote the improvement of energy efficiency in various countries. Actively advocate cooperation in the efficient use of fossil fuels such as clean coal technology, promote the international community to strengthen cooperation in major energy technologies such as renewable energy, hydrogen energy, and nuclear energy, and explore the establishment of a clean, economic, safe, and reliable future energy supply system in the world . From the perspective of sustainable development of human society, the international community must properly handle issues such as capital investment, intellectual property protection, and advanced technology promotion, so that all countries in the world can benefit from it and share the fruits of human progress.

Maintain a sound and stable political environment. Maintaining world peace and regional stability is a prerequisite for achieving global energy security. The international community should work together to maintain the stability of the energy-producing and transporting countries, especially the oil-producing countries such as the Middle East, to ensure the safety and smoothness of international energy channels, and to avoid geopolitical disputes from interfering with global energy supply. Countries should resolve differences and resolve contradictions through dialogue and negotiation. They should not politicize energy issues, avoid resorting to force or even confrontation. ^[7]