Energy outlook (summary)

In the second half of the nineteenth century, oil was regarded not only as a source of energy, but also as a rich mineral resource for the production of different useful goods. However, early in the twentieth century, Vladimir Lenin gave energy its political importance rather than economic. In the post-war period the world economy was determined primarily by the availability and cheapness of the oil produced in the underdeveloped countries. Almost 30 years of post-war world economy was highly energy consuming, however the energy crisis of the early 70s put an end to cheap energy. While previously the competitiveness of national economies could be judged by the amount of energy consumed, since the fuel crisis of 70s, countries started to compete to become energy-saving in technologies and national economies. Since then, energy could no longer be regarded only as an economic tern, albeit very important, it became the basis of ideology and philosophy of the late twentieth century.

Control over production, transportation and consumption of energy by the end of the twentieth century have become a universal explanatory principle of any world events. In today's globalizing information society, not only the economy but also the world outlook has become energy-dependant. Such worldview has at least two sides. The first side consists of an explanatory principle, which is attached to the universalistic meaning that everything what is happening in the world is due to the struggle for energy resources. The second part focuses on the constructive motivating function of the world outlook, i.e. with what should one be preoccupied while engaging in politics, economics and science.

Contemporary Belarus, albeit very late, was included in global processes, and put if not in the center, however close to the center and focus of the entire range of the world's energy problems. We do not belong to the countries with the highest consumption of energy however energy consumption per unit of output in our economy is very high We are not an exporter of energy, but to a large extent, control the transit of energy resources. Ensuring energy security and independence of the country is one of the priorities of the policy of the Belarusian state and at the same time, the country is preparing to build a nuclear power plant, purchased by outside technology, which will be built and operated by foreign professionals and firms, and work on the exported raw materials.

The existing problems and controversies are largely related to the fact that we are widely discussing and making decisions in the sphere of destructive energy, while policies motivated by a constructive part of the energy outlook have still weak impact at the national policy level. All these issues must be considered in addition to strictly economic issues, starting with the basic decisions about the appropriateness and conformity with the national interests of the current industry structure in the country, and ending with the critics of the traditional consumer behavior with inefficient lifestyle of the residents of rural and urban homes in Belarus.

Since energy has become an integral part of philosophy of a modern man, one should work with this world outlook without superficial ideological pumped, however at the level of philosophical criticism and modern techniques.

Uladzimir Matskevich

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