Welcome to the Foreign Policy Association’s relaunched Energy Blog.
As we all know, energy comes from a variety of sources with different international political-economic concerns tied each of them. Oil is affected by politics in the Middle East and affects politics around the globe. Coal and natural gas play different roles in global energy and environmental issues. Nuclear energy, once considered a toxic folly, is making a comeback as a green source – and America imports 95% of the uranium it uses.
The unpleasant truth is that 7 billion humans cannot have a North American/European lifestyle given the way we use energy now. And there are billions of people who believe they should be able to live that way. This means that the potential for conflict is likely to rise as time goes by.
But this blog isn’t just going to look at potential arguments (or worse) over energy resources. To get a fuller picture, we’re going to keep an eye on technological developments, alternative sources of energy, pollution, and economic effects of developments in the energy sphere.
The content is going to be a mix of news and commentary, mostly the latter. And therefore, I need to put my background and perspective (biases) up front. I am Jeff Myhre, a researcher and writer of more years than I care to recall on matters involving resources including energy. I got my BA in history and international affairs from the University of Colorado and my PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics. I’ve worked at Lloyd’s of London Press looking at the tanker market, and at Moody’s examining energy related debt as well as a few other places that aren’t immediately relevant.
I believe the best way to organize a society is for equal standing for all under the law, with limits on what the government can do in its use of force.
I believe in markets, but as tools not as gods. To paraphrase Jefferson, humans are entitled to be productive, to enjoy the fruits of their labors and to aspire to luxury and comfort. When any market becomes destructive of these ends, it needs to be altered or abolished (or at least, heavily regulated).
I also believe (perhaps naively) that there is enough for everyone if we as a species are clever about how we use our resources. Further, I expect the energy arena to test this belief over the next two decades or so. Call me an idealist who has studied too much history to really drink the Kool-Aid of unbridled optimism.
So, let the games commence.
