文摘
Many structural factors influence energy regimes at the national and international level, including development/affluence, population size, and oil prices. In this study, we use Duncan鈥檚 ecological complex (aka 鈥淧OET鈥?model) to theorize about the many structural factors that shape national energy usage. Employing one of the largest samples ever used for this purpose (from 1970 to 2000/N聽=聽98/2,263 case-years), coupled with fixed effects to hold constant both unique temporal events and country attributes (e.g., oil embargoes, land area, climate), our pooled time-series analysis suggests that population, social organization, the external social environment (i.e., globalization), and specific technologies are all important dimensions in how the nations of the world use their energy resources. More specifically, while we found that population size, automotive dependence, and global trade increase both total use and energy intensity, other factors such as development, large-scale urbanization, and global oil prices usually lead to (relative) energy savings. We conclude with implications for public policy and further academic study.