Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
April 24, 2023
Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
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Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
The term “prime mover” conjures the notion of someone or something that has a lot of influence. Tesla is a prime mover in the car industry. Taylor Swift is a prime mover in popular music. In the world of energy, prime mover refers to any device that receives force and motion from a natural source (flowing water, fuel combustion) and
The rapid increase in primary energy use in the twentieth century is a hallmark of the modern world. But one form of energy stands out among all the rest: electricity. Energy use from all sources in the United States increased fourfold from 1920 to 2021. But the end use of electricity increased more than one hundred-fold over that same period, much of it generated from fossil fuels. The clear preference by society for electricity relative to other forms of energy is due to its unique physical attributes, which were translated into superior services in illumination and communication, and to unprecedented increases in the productivity of capital, labor, and raw materials in the manufacturing sector.
One striking feature of the nation’s energy use is the substantial increase in the quantity consumed, from about 0.3 exajoules (EJ) in 1780 to about 100 EJ in 2007. Energy use in 2000 was nearly ten times as great as it was in 1900, and in 1900 it was eighteen times as great as it was in 1800. The secular increase in energy use was driven by increases in population, economic growth, affluence, and technology. The impacts of major geopolitical and economic events are clearly visible: the Great Depression, major recessions, world wars, the oil price shocks of the 1970s and 1980s, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
The term “prime mover” conjures the notion of someone or something that has a lot of influence. Tesla is a prime mover in the car industry. Taylor Swift is a prime mover in popular music. In the world of energy, prime mover refers to any device that receives force and motion from a natural source (flowing water, fuel combustion) and
The rapid increase in primary energy use in the twentieth century is a hallmark of the modern world. But one form of energy stands out among all the rest: electricity. Energy use from all sources in the United States increased fourfold from 1920 to 2021. But the end use of electricity increased more than one hundred-fold over that same period, much of it generated from fossil fuels. The clear preference by society for electricity relative to other forms of energy is due to its unique physical attributes, which were translated into superior services in illumination and communication, and to unprecedented increases in the productivity of capital, labor, and raw materials in the manufacturing sector.
One striking feature of the nation’s energy use is the substantial increase in the quantity consumed, from about 0.3 exajoules (EJ) in 1780 to about 100 EJ in 2007. Energy use in 2000 was nearly ten times as great as it was in 1900, and in 1900 it was eighteen times as great as it was in 1800. The secular increase in energy use was driven by increases in population, economic growth, affluence, and technology. The impacts of major geopolitical and economic events are clearly visible: the Great Depression, major recessions, world wars, the oil price shocks of the 1970s and 1980s, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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