The outlook for energy consumption is based on changeable projections for future reserves. What might be the most important

factor in making a projection?

A) the growth rate of consumption

B) the types of estimates used to determine how many of the remaining resources can be recovered

economically

C) the development of better technologies for production

D) the actual policies affecting industry production standards and personal choice issues

A) the growth rate of consumption

Explanation:

All the other items in the question could be used to make an estimate or a projection for future reserves, but the growth rate of consumption is perhaps the most powerful proxy.

This is because by analyzing the growth rate of consumption, an estimate can be made about how many future reserves will be needed in the future to meet consumer demand, and this number can be compared later with the actual amount of reserves expected to exit at the same period in time.

After making this analysis, it can be determined how much scarcity or abundance of reserves there will be.