Politics
The Future of Energy Will Require Bigger Sacrifice From Citizens
Governments increasingly turn to ordinary citizens as need for power conservation becomes more urgent
The Tokyo Tower is partially lit as part of energy-saving measures in Tokyo on March 22.
Photographer: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
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Not since Jimmy Carter was U.S. president are governments around the world under so much pressure to ask their citizens to cut energy consumption for the greater good.
The need for more energy conservation has snowballed. The war in Ukraine is forcing Europe to curb dependence on Russian energy. The post-pandemic economic recovery is creating power shortages in China. The rapid shift to renewables, extreme weather events and sky-high fuel prices are stretching grids from Texas to Pakistan.