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The Energy Trap
Europe is in danger of contracting the same affliction. To be sure, most European countries long ago started taxing energy as a convenient way to raise revenues, which fortuitously also makes energy more costly and creates a strong incentive for efficiency. That approach did not originate as an energy policy, but it has emerged as a keystone of Europe's more successful efforts to tame energy consumption. And Europe is in the midst of shifting policymaking from the individual countries to Brussels, which may create a more coherent approach. But despite these advantages, Europe is notable for its inability to be strategic. For example, Brussels is touting a new pipeline called Nabucco that would help Europe cut its dependence on Russia for its natural gas. So far, Brussels is good at talking about the Nabucco dream but can't agree on a route, financing, or even on where to get the gas that would replace Russia's.
The rising powers in Asia are also finding that they, like America, have a hard time developing and applying strategic energy policies. China develops energy policy through its economic planning system, with mixed results. The country doesn't even have an energy ministry, and efforts to create one are being stymied by the bureaucracy and companies that fear they will lose influence. India has four energy ministries and no real central strategy. Like America, India is very good at declaring visions for strategic energy policy but dreadful at putting them into practice. The Japanese public is just as fickle, but the government bureaucracy is entrenched and far-sighted enough to keep its focus long after public interest has waned.
All this means that the underlying forces that are causing high demand for energy (and high prices) and emitting greenhouse gases will be hard to alter. The effort to solve global warming might change this pessimistic iron rule of energy policy, because the environmental community that is the core of the coalition in support of global warming policy is becoming much stronger and has shown staying power. For the moment, however, that is a hypothesis to be proved.
David G. Victor is a professor at Stanford Law School and directs the Freeman Spogli Institute's Program on Energy & Sustainable Development; he is also adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/10/2008 6:17:48 PM
Comment: The carbon-tax idea may sound good to some people on first hearing, but consider this: Carbon, like all matter cannot be created or destroyed. There is a fixed amount of it on the planet in all its forms. Our own bodies are made up of carbon and we cannot live without it. Every living thing that moves on the planet also exhales carbon dioxide with every breath. Nobody has ever objected to owning diamonds (pure carbon) or riding their ultra-light carbon fiber mountain bikes through God's green wilderness. Without carbon dioxide, green plants would wither and die. The real challenge is to intelligently manage the carbon life cycle on our planet and to minimize its harmful forms. Using green algae (liquid plants) we can adroitly convert carbon dioxide to oxygen and put the multiplied algae to good use in our world as food and food additives (spirulina), separate out oils for use as lubricants, make plastics for all sorts of uses, produce ethanol and bio-diesel fuels. Carbon dioxide can be trapped at the smokestack to do all of these things. If we think of ourselves as fighting against carbon, we will only be frustrated.
The technology exists ( www.greenfuelonline.com) to make the most intelligent use of carbon dioxide as an essential part of our environment.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/09/2008 6:18:24 PM
Comment: The USA needs ethanol from biomass NOW - not only to solve environmental problems but also to solve economic/financial problems, national security problems and unemployment problems. Ethanol from biomass lowers greenhouse gases 84% as compared to using gasoline as a fuel. We already get ethanol mixed into most gasoline supplied to the public, so there's no real distribution problem. Ethanol from biomass does not raise the price of food commodities. Congress needs to get your calls and emails to focus on accelerating the mass production of ethanol from biomass. Check the facts at www.coskata.com
Posted By: sirhc @ 04/05/2008 7:47:24 PM
Comment: THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS VERY REAL. I TRIED TO DENY IT BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AL SHARPTON MAKING COMMERCIALS WITH PAT ROBERTSON AND NEWT GINGRINCH DOING COMMERCIALS WITH ANNCY PELOSI ALL FOR THIS-THEN THAT'S A LOUD AND CLEAR SIGNAL. Go to www.dakshidin.com for the environment uptick on other energy source(mainly air and wind-I saw on Glen Beck about the air powered car-HOPE SO!)and www.greenglobeint.com for the companies that specialize in tourism and traveling in the most green way because traveling is very, very much a pollutant as people discard and tarvel more frivilous than when they are home.