Articles | Volume 6, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-689-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-689-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
13 Oct 2015
Research article |
| 13 Oct 2015
Resource acquisition, distribution and end-use efficiencies and the growth of industrial society
A. J. Jarvis
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
S. J. Jarvis
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, London, UK
C. N. Hewitt
Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Taxonomies for structuring models for World–Earth systems analysis of the Anthropocene: subsystems, their interactions and social–ecological feedback loops J. Donges et al.
- Beyond energy efficiency and individual behaviours: policy insights from social practice theories N. Labanca & P. Bertoldi
- Co-evolution of network structure and consumer inequality in a spatially explicit model of energetic resource acquisition N. Davis et al.
- The sower’s way: quantifying the narrowing net-energy pathways to a global energy transition S. Sgouridis et al.
- A Conceptual Model of the Relationship Among World Economy and Climate Indicators B. Dolgonosov
- The technosphere in Earth System analysis: A coevolutionary perspective J. Donges et al.
- Towards representing human behavior and decision making in Earth system models – an overview of techniques and approaches F. Müller-Hansen et al.
- Stranded human and produced capital in a net-zero transition D. Chester et al.
- Reputation-based adaptive adjustment of link weight among individuals promotes the cooperation in spatial social dilemmas X. Li et al.
- Global Returns on Investment and Rebound Effects in Primary Energy and Efficiency A. Jarvis & C. King
- Trajectories toward maximum power and inequality in resource distribution networks N. Davis et al.
- Coevolving allocation of resources and cooperation in spatial evolutionary games C. Luo & Z. Jiang
- Structural change and socio-economic disparities in a net zero transition C. Lynch et al.
- Energy Returns and The Long-run Growth of Global Industrial Society A. Jarvis
- Trees for bees P. Donkersley
- Economy-wide rebound and the returns on investment in energy efficiency A. Jarvis & C. King
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Taxonomies for structuring models for World–Earth systems analysis of the Anthropocene: subsystems, their interactions and social–ecological feedback loops J. Donges et al.
- Beyond energy efficiency and individual behaviours: policy insights from social practice theories N. Labanca & P. Bertoldi
- Co-evolution of network structure and consumer inequality in a spatially explicit model of energetic resource acquisition N. Davis et al.
- The sower’s way: quantifying the narrowing net-energy pathways to a global energy transition S. Sgouridis et al.
- A Conceptual Model of the Relationship Among World Economy and Climate Indicators B. Dolgonosov
- The technosphere in Earth System analysis: A coevolutionary perspective J. Donges et al.
- Towards representing human behavior and decision making in Earth system models – an overview of techniques and approaches F. Müller-Hansen et al.
- Stranded human and produced capital in a net-zero transition D. Chester et al.
- Reputation-based adaptive adjustment of link weight among individuals promotes the cooperation in spatial social dilemmas X. Li et al.
- Global Returns on Investment and Rebound Effects in Primary Energy and Efficiency A. Jarvis & C. King
- Trajectories toward maximum power and inequality in resource distribution networks N. Davis et al.
- Coevolving allocation of resources and cooperation in spatial evolutionary games C. Luo & Z. Jiang
- Structural change and socio-economic disparities in a net zero transition C. Lynch et al.
- Energy Returns and The Long-run Growth of Global Industrial Society A. Jarvis
- Trees for bees P. Donkersley
- Economy-wide rebound and the returns on investment in energy efficiency A. Jarvis & C. King
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 May 2026
Short summary
This paper uses observations of global and national energy use to attempt to show that the growth in energy use over the last 160 years can be related to the distribution constraints imposed by the networks that link environmentally derived resources to points of end use. Having accounted for the distribution efficiency of this global-scale network, we speculate that the observed long-run return rate on energy of ~2.4%/yr requires regulated deployment of acquisition and end use efficiencies.
This paper uses observations of global and national energy use to attempt to show that the...
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