Energy use during pandemics
There are many moving parts within an economy, and the elements that make it up. Energy is like any other element, in that the balance is governed by supply and demand. Economies are currently being buffeted by a global pandemic, with the human population acting in less predictable ways than normal. Society has become so widely dependent on energy that its production and consumption is influenced by human behaviour to a greater extent than almost every other commodity. Possible changes in consumption So how might energy consumption being affected by the current pandemic? Since the 2003 SARS epidemic, our society has become more digitally dependent - the iPhone wasn't launched until 2007 and Skype had only just been launched - and so work patterns and personal habits have changed considerably. Here are a few ways in which our energy usage might change during this pandemic. Electricity Natural gas and petroleum Increase Increased datacentre usage (video conferencing, ente...