A new study has established the amount of energy humans need to lead a comfortable life. The study was carried out by a small group of researchers from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.
The race against time to reduce our carbon footprints has led researchers to investigate the amount of energy required to live a decent life. The study was published in Nature Energy and involved a small group of researchers from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.
The study was conducted in three developing nations, India, Brazil and South Africa on how much energy they produce and how they use it. The study found that, in all these countries, they produced more energy than they were able to use.
The research came up with interesting findings that very little energy was needed to provide a basic livelihood. They found that a lot of energy was actually going to waste. The study also involved researching on how much wiggle room required for energy consumption reduction without reducing the quality of life.
Energy humans need to lead a decent life
In India, the study found out that they consumed 17.5 gigajoules per capita. However, only about 7 gigajoules of energy per capita was required to provide basic needs. The study also stated that to live a decent life, Indians required approximately 12 to 15 gigajoules. Therefore, India and other developing nations could cut their energy consumption significantly without reducing their quality of life.
Narasimha Rao, the energy systems analyst, said,
We didn’t expect that the energy needs for a minimally decent life would be so modest, even for countries like India where large gaps exist, It was also a pleasant surprise that the most essential human needs related to health, nutrition, and education, are cheap in terms of energy.
The study is a clear indication that countries and people can take steps into reducing their carbon footprints by reducing their energy consumption. The study also highlights the steps which countries and people can take to reduce their carbon footprints.
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