Energy and Society

The major societal effects of energy systems developed by man can be related to four predominant technical sectors. The sectors include the use of work animals, the direct conversion into mechanical work of inanimate stored solar energy, the use of electricity as an energy form derived from these sources, and the use of nuclear energy as a primary source. The past and potential impacts of these developments are so many that only a few principal aspects can be explored. The chapter describes the relationships of energy flow to the societal materialistic targets of health, security, social stability, upward mobility, and leisure. The traditional target of economic growth may be one of the best composite means of achieving all of these materialistic goals, and this explains its frequent and popular use as a measure of societal success.