RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: REASONS FOR USE, TYPES AND IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Along with the growth of the world population, the demand for energy is continuously increasing. Indeed, our daily lives are now unimaginable without electronic devices, means of transportation, the internet, or comfort ably equipped living spaces, all of which require a tremendous amount of energy to function — especially consid ering that, as the population increases, so does the demand for these necessities. The famous English scientist, demographer, and economist Thomas Robert Malthus believed that humanity was facing destruction, as the population grows in geometric progression, while the means of subsistence grow in arithmetic progression (meaning population growth significantly outpaces the growth of resources). In 1778, he even published a work on this topic titled „An Essay on the Principle of Population“, which laid the foundation for the Malthusian theory. However, more than 200 years have passed since Malthus’s era. From the 18th century to the present day, the global population has increased by over 7 billion people, yet his prediction has not come true — because humanity has learned not only how to use energy more efficiently, but also how to harness renewable sources of energy.