Week #3: Energy Regimes Past and Present

To understand the current environmental situation and to faithfully explain how it came about, it is peculiar to study in a thorough, exhaustive and chronological manner a multitude of “histories”. These encompass the history of human evolution from homo sapiens, the history of the planet’s climate and the history of energy regimes that existed and those in place today. Hence, J. R. McNeill’s chapters 1 and 10 of  “Something New Under the Sun” provide a keen and comprehensive insight on these “histories”. In the first chapter of his book, the author supports his assessments by means of astonishing figures of economic and social development throughout the years of human existence. 

The findings from the supporting evidence are solid proof of incommensurable growth in various fields, accompanied by human and lifestyle emancipation in the past century. Furthermore, through a myriad of landmarks and events that took place all over the world with a focus from 1820, McNeill narrates the evolution of energy regimes, and how the world adopted a new economic functioning, relying on what he calls “non muscular energy”. He then moves onto describing the start of oil drilling in the world, until nuclear power, while highlighting the importance of the amenities it provided humans with, enhancing in an unprecedented manner their lives. 

Also, the 2019 Annual Energy Outlook made by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, adduced the long-term projections for energy regimes up until 2050. With regards to the present and the challenges facing nowadays’ energy regimes and the Earth’s climate, David Roberts’ attempts to explain the current dilemmas and complexities. In his two articles published on Vox magazine, Roberts shows whether or not the implementation of renewable energies would prove beneficial right now, all the while drawing upon the challenges behind their introduction to the current energy regime, the pre-existing issues engendered by fossil fuels, the questions of political will, variability and dispatching of renewable energy, energy storage, pollution, feasibility on the long term and more… On the whole, this week’s readings showcase the complexity of future energy regimes.