Watch The Video Earth 2050: The Future Of Energy ✓ Solved

Watch the video Earth 2050: The Future of Energy and write w

Write a two-page essay based only on the video that summarizes present problems from global energy consumption, explains the types of solutions scientists are exploring to create alternative energy sources by 2050, and answers whether Utopia will ever be possible. Include an APA reference for the YouTube video at the end of that essay.

Second task: In about 200 words, explain the social and economic effects of standardization, interchangeability, and mass production.

Third task: After reviewing materials on global warming, in about 200 words answer whether global warming can be solved; explain your reasoning and cite at least three Internet sources using APA guidelines.

Paper For Above Instructions

1. Summary of Present Problems from Global Energy Consumption (based on the video)

The video highlights several interconnected problems arising from current global energy consumption patterns. First, heavy reliance on fossil fuels drives rising greenhouse gas emissions that are changing the global climate, producing more frequent extreme weather events and long-term environmental shifts (IPCC, 2021; NASA, 2023). Second, current energy systems are inefficient and concentrated: large proportions of generated energy are lost during conversion, transmission, and end use, and many regions still lack reliable access to electricity, reinforcing inequalities (IEA, 2021). Third, fossil-fuel-based systems contribute to air and water pollution, with public-health and ecological impacts that disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized communities (UNEP, 2021). Fourth, existing infrastructures—grids, refineries, supply chains—are often inflexible and poorly prepared for variable renewable energy or distributed generation, posing technical and economic integration challenges (NREL, 2020). Finally, the video emphasizes geopolitical and market vulnerabilities: price volatility, supply concentration, and dependency on specific energy-exporting regions create strategic instability and constrain long-term planning (IEA, 2021; Earth 2050: The Future of Energy, n.d.). Together these problems create an urgent imperative for systemic change before mid-century.

2. Solutions Scientists Are Exploring for Alternative Energy by 2050

Scientists and engineers are pursuing a portfolio of solutions to decarbonize energy systems by 2050. The video and current literature identify several areas of focus: (1) Massive scaling of solar and wind generation, driven by falling costs and improved manufacturing; (2) Large-scale energy storage — including lithium-ion batteries, long-duration flow batteries, and other storage chemistries — to manage variability and provide grid services (NREL, 2020); (3) Grid modernization and smart controls to integrate distributed resources, demand response, and improved transmission capacity (IEA, 2021); (4) Low-carbon fuels like green hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity, and advanced biofuels for hard-to-electrify sectors (IRENA, 2020); (5) Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to mitigate emissions from legacy sources and certain industrial processes (IPCC, 2021); and (6) Advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), which promise lower upfront costs and improved safety profiles (IEA, 2021). The video stresses that no single technology suffices: achieving deep decarbonization requires coordinated policy, investment in R&D, supply-chain expansion, workforce development, and equitable deployment strategies so that social benefits are widely shared (UNEP, 2021).

3. Do I Believe Utopia Will Ever Be Possible?

Utopia, understood as a flawless and permanent societal state, is unrealistic because social, political, environmental, and technological systems are dynamic and subject to trade-offs and unintended consequences. However, the video’s vision for 2050 suggests a pragmatic alternative: a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient energy system is achievable if societies align policies, innovation, and financing toward clear climate and access goals (IEA, 2021; IPCC, 2021). Rather than a perfect utopia, a “progressive improvement” model is more plausible: substantial reductions in emissions, near-universal electricity access through decentralized renewables, cleaner air, and more stable energy prices. Achieving that requires continual adaptation and attention to distributional justice so that vulnerable populations are not left behind. Therefore, while absolute utopia is unlikely, major positive transformations in energy and social outcomes are attainable by 2050 with sustained global cooperation (UNEP, 2021; NASA, 2023).

4. Second Task — Social and Economic Effects of Standardization, Interchangeability, and Mass Production (≈200 words)

Standardization, interchangeability, and mass production reshaped societies and economies by enabling rapid scale-up of goods, reducing unit costs, and creating predictable quality. Economically, these principles lowered manufacturing costs, made products affordable to broader populations, and spurred industrial growth and specialization (Britannica, n.d.). Interchangeable parts allowed repairability and modular assembly, reducing downtime and enabling assembly-line production that dramatically increased productivity and output (History.com, 2019). Socially, mass production broadened consumer access to previously luxury items—clothing, appliances, automobiles—altering consumption patterns, raising living standards for many, and fueling urbanization as factories concentrated workforces (Britannica, n.d.). However, standardization also generated challenges: deskilling of labor through repetitive tasks, precarious factory conditions in early industrial phases, and cultural homogenization as global products displaced local crafts (History.com, 2019). Economically, while mass production enabled economies of scale and market expansion, it also centralized industrial power, sometimes reducing small-producer competitiveness and increasing systemic vulnerability to supply-chain shocks. In sum, standardization and mass production catalyzed prosperity and wider access while introducing labor, cultural, and structural trade-offs that societies continue to manage.

5. Third Task — Can Global Warming Be Solved? (≈200 words with APA internet sources)

Global warming, driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, is technically addressable but not straightforwardly “solvable” in a once-and-for-all sense. Scientific and policy analyses indicate that limiting warming to safer thresholds (e.g., 1.5–2.0 °C) is possible with rapid, deep emission reductions across energy, industry, transport, and land use, combined with carbon dioxide removal to address residual emissions (IPCC, 2021; IEA, 2021). NASA documents the robust evidence of warming and stresses mitigation plus adaptation as complementary strategies (NASA, 2023). The IEA’s Net Zero roadmap outlines pathways combining renewables, efficiency, electrification, hydrogen, and CCUS to reach net-zero by 2050 (IEA, 2021). However, feasibility depends on political will, finance mobilization, technology deployment at scale, and equitable policies to ensure a just transition; without these, mitigation efforts will fall short (UNEP, 2021). Therefore, while the physical and technical means exist to avert the worst outcomes, success depends on urgent global coordination and societal choices. With concerted action informed by science and fairness, substantial mitigation is achievable; without it, impacts will be more severe and persistent (IPCC, 2021; NASA, 2023; IEA, 2021).

Conclusion

The video’s message is clear: current energy systems generate interconnected environmental, social, and economic problems that require a diverse portfolio of technological and policy solutions by 2050. Scaling renewables, modernizing grids, expanding storage, deploying low-carbon fuels, and embracing efficiency and equitable policy frameworks offers a credible pathway toward a far better energy future. Utopia as perfection is unlikely, but major progress that improves wellbeing, reduces emissions, and increases resilience is feasible if global societies act decisively and inclusively.

References

  • Earth 2050: The Future of Energy [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLACEHOLDER
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
  • International Energy Agency (IEA). (2021). Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector. https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
  • NASA Global Climate Change. (2023). Evidence — Climate change: How do we know? https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2022). Trends in atmospheric carbon dioxide. https://www.noaa.gov/news-release
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). (2020). Energy storage and grid modernization. https://www.nrel.gov/
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2021). Emissions Gap Report 2021. https://www.unep.org/emissions-gap-report-2021
  • International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2020). Green Hydrogen: A Guide to Policy Design. https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/Nov/Green-hydrogen
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Mass production. https://www.britannica.com/topic/mass-production
  • History.com Editors. (2019). Industrial Revolution: Mass production and the factory system. https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution

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