It would be great if we lived in a world where most major energy, environmental, and political decisions were made based on facts alone and where the facts caused us to make the right decisions every time. Unfortunately, we do not live in that world, but we can try to get closer to that world through actions catalyzed through thoughtful dialogue such as via this Energy For Tomorrow series. The facts: Modern civilization runs on enormous amounts energy, largely carbon-based. And, it is likely to continue to require doing so for decades while we switch over to renewables and/or new as yet-undiscovered energy technologies. Perhaps, too, our rises in consumption will be partially mitigated by rises in energy efficiency. In addition, of course, we have the massive challenge of human-caused climate change and its likely impact on the planet and its ecosystems, not to mention the politicization of that issue. The fact is that we face some daunting facts.

There has been great progress in efficiency and the use of renewables is growing very rapidly (albeit from a very tiny proportional base). Continued economic growth in the most advanced economies as well as those in the developing world (where it has taken billions out of poverty and which imperative cannot be denied to those still in poverty) will continue to fuel the growth in energy consumption in the coming decades. Some estimates state that more than half of the energy used in the world since the start of the industrial revolution has occurred in only the past two decades. By 2050, global energy demand is expected to double or even triple.

Given the economic AND environmental repercussions, the future of energy must encompass several key factors. It must focus on: a dramatic increase in renewable/clean energy consumption; prioritize efficiency; encourage massive capital investments in technological innovation (including in radical and blue-sky concepts); alter the century-old monopoly grid systems and the antiquated policies that perpetuate them; better integrate new sources into the existing energy infrastructure; and, above all else, ensure our environmental policies are neither based on doing nothing or doing just enough to appear to be doing something when its not enough. The future of energy is the future of human civilization. And, the future of energy is ours to determine... with personal and political decisions based on the facts as we know and gather them. Can we face the facts? Can we act in time? The stakes could not possibly be higher.

Read Archived Debates here.