Author:
Name & Surname: Puchkov L. A.
Company: Mining Institute, National University of Science and Technology MISiS (Moscow, Russia)
Work Position: Corresponding Member RAS, Head of Strategic Research Center
Contacts: nok@mail.ru

The study focuses on the dynamics of energy consumption in the world. The mechanisms of the energy consumption growth corresponding to the laws of the least action are defined. It is shown that the growth of the global consumption of energy is characterized by a linear function of time, the energy consumption growth rate is a constant value equal to150 Mt of oil equivalent per year. Exceeding of this value leads to infringement of physical laws and results in a crisis. The threshold overconsumption of energy in the world, upon reaching of which the world crisis begins, is defined. This value makes 12.5 % of the optimal energy consumption in accordance with the law of the least action. The found dependence between the optimal energy consumption in the world and the Earth population has allowed finding another important index—the annual energy demand per capita, which is 1.56 t of oil equivalent. This value corresponds to the optimal economic advancement in the world. Exceeding of this value also results in disturbance of natural energy equilibrium and the world crisis. From the standpoint of the energy theory, the causes of the global crisis events over the period from 1965 up till now have been analyzed. It is shown that the main (and the only) cause of a world crisis is the energy overconsumption, the other causes being secondary.

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