Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010
We study the global probability distribution of energy consumption per capita around the world using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for 1980–2010. We find that the Lorenz curves have moved up during this time period, and the Gini coefficient, G, has decreased from 0.66 in...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2013-12-01
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| Series: | Entropy |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/12/5565 |
| _version_ | 1811279151022211072 |
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| author | Scott Lawrence Qin Liu Victor M. Yakovenko |
| author_facet | Scott Lawrence Qin Liu Victor M. Yakovenko |
| author_sort | Scott Lawrence |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We study the global probability distribution of energy consumption per capita around the world using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for 1980–2010. We find that the Lorenz curves have moved up during this time period, and the Gini coefficient, G, has decreased from 0.66 in 1980 to 0.55 in 2010, indicating a decrease in inequality. The global probability distribution of energy consumption per capita in 2010 is close to the exponential distribution withG = 0:5. We attribute this result to the globalization of the world economy, which mixes the world and brings it closer to the state of maximal entropy. We argue that global energy production is a limited resource that is partitioned among the world population. The most probable partition is the one that maximizes entropy, thus resulting in the exponential distribution function. A consequence of the latter is the law of 1/3: the top 1/3 of the world population consumes 2/3 of produced energy. We also find similar results for the global probability distribution of CO2 emissions per capita. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:49:36Z |
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| id | doaj.art-1d4e4a62266f4e38990dd4e88cd0ee28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1099-4300 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:49:36Z |
| publishDate | 2013-12-01 |
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| series | Entropy |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d4e4a62266f4e38990dd4e88cd0ee282022-12-22T03:09:55ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002013-12-0115125565557910.3390/e15125565e15125565Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010Scott Lawrence0Qin Liu1Victor M. Yakovenko2Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111, USADepartment of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111, USADepartment of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4111, USAWe study the global probability distribution of energy consumption per capita around the world using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for 1980–2010. We find that the Lorenz curves have moved up during this time period, and the Gini coefficient, G, has decreased from 0.66 in 1980 to 0.55 in 2010, indicating a decrease in inequality. The global probability distribution of energy consumption per capita in 2010 is close to the exponential distribution withG = 0:5. We attribute this result to the globalization of the world economy, which mixes the world and brings it closer to the state of maximal entropy. We argue that global energy production is a limited resource that is partitioned among the world population. The most probable partition is the one that maximizes entropy, thus resulting in the exponential distribution function. A consequence of the latter is the law of 1/3: the top 1/3 of the world population consumes 2/3 of produced energy. We also find similar results for the global probability distribution of CO2 emissions per capita.http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/12/5565inequalityenergy consumptioncarbon emissionmaximal entropyexponential distributionLorenz curveGini coefficienteconophysicsthe law of 1/3globalization |
| spellingShingle | Scott Lawrence Qin Liu Victor M. Yakovenko Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 Entropy inequality energy consumption carbon emission maximal entropy exponential distribution Lorenz curve Gini coefficient econophysics the law of 1/3 globalization |
| title | Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| title_full | Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| title_fullStr | Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| title_short | Global Inequality in Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| title_sort | global inequality in energy consumption from 1980 to 2010 |
| topic | inequality energy consumption carbon emission maximal entropy exponential distribution Lorenz curve Gini coefficient econophysics the law of 1/3 globalization |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/12/5565 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT scottlawrence globalinequalityinenergyconsumptionfrom1980to2010 AT qinliu globalinequalityinenergyconsumptionfrom1980to2010 AT victormyakovenko globalinequalityinenergyconsumptionfrom1980to2010 |