Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
Relationship between economic growth and the environment
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Households' Perceptions on Energy Consumption and Sustainable Life Styles in Zambia
2858 Words6 Pages
Background Energy is the driver of global economic development and prosperity [1]. It fuels the manufacturing processes; it keeps buildings warm or cool, and powers a huge array of electrical appliances from lighting and refrigeration, through to the proliferation of modern consumer electronics [2]. As nations develop and their economies grow, so too does the consumption of resources in general and energy resources in particular. Consequently, the efficient exploitation and development of a nation’s energy resources is thus of great importance to the progress and well-being of the consuming public and the overall growth of the economy [3]. Energy use can be divided into two categories, namely energy used directly by consumers and energy used in production, embedded in purchased goods and services. Anable et al [2] provide that ultimately, all energy use results from consumption decisions and it is this demand that drives the production of energy. Drawing on Anable et al. [2], it is evident that energy consumption is dependent on consumer lifestyle as lifestyle influences the type, quality and quantity of energy services required and used. For example, affluent lifestyles, which may be as a result of greater wealth, tend to increase energy use [4]. Furthermore, increasing incomes provide citizens with more options on how they can use energy and people’s choices will largely determine what impact their economic growth aspirations will have on the environment in general and energy sector in particular [4]. The developed countries have been historically responsible for high levels of energy consumption and emissions, and account for the use of most of the ecological space. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an average Am... ... middle of paper ... ...pps.pdf 13. Zambia Development Agency (2013) Energy sector profile. Available from: http://www.zda.org.zm/sites/default/files/Zambia%20Energy%20Sector%20Profile%20-%20June%202013.pdf 14. Barker T. (2013). Renewable energy technologies and finance in Zambia. Available from: http://imaginezambia.org/3754/renewable -energy-technologies-finance-in-zambia/ 15. Kitwe City Council (KCC), (2012). Kitwe City Council 2012 -2016 Strategic Plan. KCC. Kitwe. 16. Social and Community Planning Research (SCPR), (1972a). Sample design and selection. Technical Manual Series, Technical Manual No. 2. 17. Social and Community Planning Research (SCPR), (1972b). Interviewers Guidebook. Technical Manual Series, Technical Manual No.3. 18. Corbin, J & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. 3rd Ed. Sage. London.