Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.4 Relation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and per cap-
ita energy use (2008)
For some industrialized countries, such as the United Kingdom, United States,
Germany, France, and Japan, data are available that permit tracking of the evolu-
tion of energy intensity over more than a century (
Figure 2.5
). Such tracking al-
lows us to see that energy intensity increased as infrastructure and heavy industry
developed, eventually reaching a peak and then steadily declining. Latecomers in
the industrialization process, such as Japan, peaked at lower energy intensities than
their predecessors, indicating early adoption of innovative and modern, energy-ef-
ficient industrial processes and technologies.
