Just imagine how cumbersome it must have been for our ancestors to harness those energy sources we all take for granted these days. I’m sure it was no fun toting a flaming torch around mile after wearying mile. Yet, for the first humans who captured a spontaneous flame — perhaps following a nearby lightning strike — they must have been thrilled at the lucky find.
Consider how far we have come since we first discovered fire — unarguably the most important and significant energy discovery in human history. After fire came hydropower. Even though hydroelectric power generation hasn’t yet hit a double-digit annual growth rate, the ancient water wheel continues to generate energy around the globe.
Modern civilization may be draining oil fields at a rapid pace, but crude oil still powers much of the world. With new oil sands extraction technology, some predict the U.S. will become a major exporter of oil. Those oil-shocks of the 1970s may soon fade from memory. Even with newly devised methods of making plastic from plant oils, it would appear fossil fuels will continue to supply energy for many more decades.
Wind power is soaring these days, with Makani Power’s innovative flying wind turbine, funded in part, by none other than Google. Yet, solar power may offer the biggest energy bang of all, as the technology continues to advance rapidly.
What will the future bring, in terms of new energy innovations? Unless you have a crystal ball, it’s hard to say. Yet, one thing is certain. Humanity continues to have an insatiable thirst for energy, and scientists will continue to develop new innovations in sustainable forms of energy, such as solar power, to meet that demand.
Some scientists have postulated that energy technology is expanding so rapidly there is no way for us to predict what life will be like in the near future. Just as fire changed the lives of early hominids, modern energy technologies will likely transform our world in ways we cannot even imagine today.