Asking the Wrong Questions on Energy

To adapt Thomas Pynchon, if the wrong question is asked, the answer doesn’t matter. Today, the world seems to be consciously framing its energy problems in a way that avoids the right questions, and thus true solutions.

Human advancement is intrinsically linked to the development of motorized power driven by fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the resource itself is finite and has serious byproducts, notably carbon dioxide, which may pose an existential threat by worsening climate change. A logical response might be to limit energy consumption and its adverse side effects. However, the modern energy-intensive lifestyle appears sacrosanct. The International Energy Outlook estimates that worldwide energy demand will increase by 48 percent from 2012 to 2040.