What’s the meaning of “after accounting for human behavioral preference for current consumption/return”

Question

Oh, boy! I don't know what's wrong with my understanding of English:)

I must have a wrong conception of those two phrases.

Then, let me put it this way.

Q1. What is alternative energy? It's eco-friendly energy such as solar power or wind power. It does not mean fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, right?

Q2. Then what are energy alternatives? (Both fossil fuels and alternative energy can be included in the category of energy alternatives?)

Q3. In my original text, what does 'energy alternatives'(the sixth line from the top) refer to? (Both fossil fuels and alternative energy? Or only alternative energy?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

thanks3Then, let me put it this way.

Each phrase has definition which is in the context.

If you have only an isolated phrase, the only thing you have is the dictionary definitions of the individual words. The miscommunication was that you were asking for definitions of a phrase which changes meaning depending on the context.

“Biological organisms, including human societies both with and without market systems, discount distant outputs over those available at the present time based on risks associated with an uncertain future. As the timing of inputs and outputs varies greatly depending on the type of energy, there is a strong case to incorporate time when assessing energy alternatives. For example, the energy output from solar panels or wind power engines, where most investment happens before they begin producing, may need to be assessed differently when compared to most fossil fuel extraction technologies, where a large proportion of the energy output comes much sooner, and a larger (relative) proportion of inputs is applied during the extraction process, and not upfront. Thus fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, in addition to having energy quality advantages (cost, storability, transportability, etc.) over many renewable technologies, also have a “temporal advantage” after accounting for human behavioral preference for current consumption/return.”

In your text, quoted above, "energy alternatives" is defined as any type of fuels that are possible: solar, wind nuclear, fossil fuels. The article is talking about a free selection.

The term "alternative energies" or "energy alternatives" can be defined more or less restrictively in other texts.

https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/clean-energy-101/types-of-alternative-energy

Alternative energy refers to energy sources other than fossil fuels (such as coal, petroleum, and diesel) and includes all renewable and nuclear energy sources. Alternative fuels are often described as “green” or renewable energy, but this isn’t always the case. Alternative energy is a broader category that encompasses all non-fossil-fuel-based energy sources and processes, of which renewable energies are only a part.

https://dieselnet.com/tech/energy_alternatives.php

Since the early 20^th century, when oil overtook coal and biomass as the main energy source for the industrial world, we have been living in the Age of Oil and have benefited from abundant and cheap fossil fuel energy. After some one hundred years of steadily growing oil consumption, it is becoming increasingly obvious that future supplies can no longer be taken for granted due to resource depletion—conventional oil peaked around 2005-2010 (while peak coal appears imminent). This resource predicament, compounded by climate change that is driven by carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, requires that oil and other fossil fuels be replaced with alternative energy sources.

https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13705-019-0219-y

Development of energy alternatives to fossil fuels faces a number of challenges. First, several alternatives such as nuclear, biomass, solar, wind, and hydroelectric are available. A municipality has limited resources and cannot invest in all alternatives simultaneously and equally. It is difficult to predict which energy alternatives will be most beneficial in the long term and determine which alternatives should be invested and the amount of investment.

What’s the meaning of “after accounting for human behavioral preference for current consumption/return”

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