ABSTRACT
The great cleavage characterizing energy consumption throughout the poor world—and reflected in numerous other socioeconomic variables—is very much in evidence in China. The easiest task in presenting a complete account of China's rural energetics is first to finish the summary of domestic energy uses. In view of severe and permanent shortages of fuel and electricity, the waste of the scarce resources during common conversions has been astounding. Concentration of petroleum extraction in a small number of large fields is a fairly usual worldwide occurrence, but in China it is present in a very pronounced manner. Combustion of cereal straws, corn stover and stalks and vines of tubers, leguminous and oil crops, and cotton is the single largest source of household fuel in rural China and also the one that can be accounted for with by far the greatest accuracy. Widespread and chronic shortages of electricity and liquid fuels have, however, limited the utilization to a fraction of the installed potential.
