World of scarcities: critical issues in public policy
For the past two decades, in the belief that there was an unlimited supply of energy and other natural resources, the industrial nations have enjoyed an unprecedented prosperity and economic growth. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war and subsequent oil crisis seem to have brought this to an end, but the author argues here that the present energy predicament is, in fact, a result of the world's unwillingness to undertake long-range planning of natural resources at both national and international levels. This book is divided into two parts. The first is a detailed and up-to-date analysis of the growing shortages of raw material, problems of supply and demand, public policy--past, present, and future--and their economic impact. Throughout, the author emphasizes that the shortage is really in our ideas and planning rather than in the finite limits of the non-renewable resources of our globe. At present, the energy shortage overshadows all other natural resource scarcities and the national and international political economies of oil and petrol are discussed in detail. In addition, the second part of the book goes on to identify seven other critical natural resources: aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, ferroalloys, timber, and fertilizers. Together, they illustrate that it is well within our power both to reduce demand for materials and to increase supply from the existing stock of natural resources. However, as the author demonstrates, it seems only this has been done well when trying to fill military requirements for anticipated or actual conflict.
- OSTI ID:
- 5214319
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ENERGY SHORTAGES
ECONOMIC IMPACT
GLOBAL ASPECTS
ENERGY SOURCES
MINERAL RESOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
ALUMINIUM
COPPER
DEMAND FACTORS
FERTILIZERS
FORESTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS
IRON
LEAD
PETROLEUM
PLANNING
RESOURCES
ZINC
ELEMENTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
METALS
REGULATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
292000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
290400 - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources