Products, fuel, and electricity are the real climate challenges for the future

There is a tight correlation between poverty and "deprivation" of the entire range of basic products and services that are taken for granted by wealthier citizens. A personal car is the iconic energy-dependent product that is highly correlated with freedom of mobility, as well as improved personal and national economic outcomes. In the United States, there are roughly 800 cars for every 1,000 people; in poorer nations, there are only a few cars for every 1,000 people.

Much of the rhetoric one hears from representatives of wealthy nations at global gatherings is focused on the goal of lowering global CO2 emissions. Such a singular focus not only ignores the realities of multidimensional environmental issues, but more importantly ignores energy poverty and the central need for access to a sufficient supply of affordable electricity. This is the only way to increase well-being everywhere and reduce destructive global disparity. For the foreseeable future, much of the energy to achieve this will come from oil, natural gas, and coal.

The high price of electricity from wind and solar deployed at society-scale illustrates an important cost of supply principle. Because everyone needs affordable and reliable energy-whether the products made from oil, electricity, gasoline, diesel, aviation, or heating fuel-the higher the overall costs, the more damaging it is proportionally for those who can least afford it.

Economic growth is propelled by imagination and invention. Many processes are made possible by the ability of fossil fuels to deliver the extremely high heat required to fabricate cement, steel, and other vital materials, and as feedstock for many critical materials, not least of which are fertilizers and plastics. The latter, while often vilified, are essential in a myriad of products, including in medical domains and vehicles of all kinds.

Improving the well-being of the billions who live in poverty will vastly increase the demand for, and thus the energy associated with, all conventional products and services from home heating and cooling, to transportation, healthcare, sanitation, and more. Then, in wealthy nations there is a further effect on energy demands from continued invention of new kinds of products and services.

Making products and services more energy-efficient effectively makes them more affordable and accessible for more people and thus increases overall energy demand.

When wealthy economies export production of minerals and metals, they impose environmental impacts and the exploitation of human atrocities on less wealthy nations.

Economic, political, and science and technology guiding principles for the 21st Century:

1. Economics

• Lifting up those in poverty to alleviate suffering and promote human dignity requires more products to generate affordable and reliable electricity and fuels for transportation.
• Human flourishing requires more electricity that is less expensive, continuous, and more reliable, not less electricity that is more expensive and less reliable.
• In the pursuit of flourishing, humans continually invent new products and services made from the oil derivatives manufactured from oi, many of which necessarily use electricity.

2. Politics

• Electricity security is a top priority for global leaders, revealed in their actions, if not always their words.
• When wealthy economies export electricity production, they impose environmental impacts and humanity atrocities on less wealthy nations.
• Government mandates and/or excessive intrusion in markets stifles electricity generation innovation, options, and freedoms.