Common features of all five plans

In my future cartoon country, the energy consumption is reduced by using
more efficient technology for transport and heating.

In the five plans for the future, transport is largely electrified. Electric
engines are more efficient than petrol engines, so the energy required
for transport is reduced. Public transport (also largely electrified) is better
integrated, better personalized, and better patronized. I’ve assumed
that electrification makes transport about four times more efficient, and
that economic growth cancels out some of these savings, so that the net
effect is a halving of energy consumption for transport. There are a few
essential vehicles that can’t be easily electrified, and for those we make
our own liquid fuels (for example biodiesel or biomethanol or cellulosic

Figure 27.1. Current consumption per person in “cartoon Britain 2008” (left two columns), and a future consumption plan, along with a possible breakdown of fuels (right two columns). This plan requires that electricity supply be increased from 18 to 48 kWh/d per person of electricity.