ABSTRACT
This paper discusses briefly some of the major issues linking energy demand, the need to protect the environment, the growth of world population, and the development of sustainable energy and environmental policies. Some possible growth patterns in world energy demand for both the conventional energies and the renewable energies over the next few decades are outlined, and the position in the UK and Scotland is also examined, using a modified S-curve (logistic curve) linked to the Volterra-Lotka equations of competition. Some problems with inconsistent data are noted in an Appendix. The conclusion is that without a shift in emphasis in the UK, which rejected the energy policies of most countries, the concept of a sustainable future energy scenario is unlikely to be achieved unless environmental issues are taken more seriously and the conventional energy sources are much nearer to depletion.
