We are not simply beings that use energy; we are beings that exist only because we harnessed energy. All known human societies have relied on the controlled use of fire for cooking, lighting, and protection, and virtually all advances in human society stem from the direct or indirect use of energy. Evidence suggests that ancient humans were fully in control of fire at least one and a half million years ago. Understanding the role of energy in the modern world starts with understanding and accepting that we are no longer capable of surviving long or well without access to fire in its many forms.

We pay both directly and indirectly for the energy we consume. Direct energy expenditure consumes just over 8 percent of the average household budget in the United States. As with other basic household costs, the poor spend a bigger proportion of their income on energy than those better off. While some have advocated eating locally and eating vegetarian as ways to reduce the energy expenditure and environmental impact of food consumption, neither of these approaches has a significant overall impact.

An August 2003 power outage was the second most widespread electricity blackout in modern times. That incident highlighted how dependent we are on consistent access to affordable energy. Any power failure affects much more than just lights: water systems, transportation infrastructure, cell phones, trains, and manufacturing are all closely connected and directly impacted. Nor is the economic impact insignificant: blackouts cost up to $130 billion every year. Different types of power generation have different levels of reliability and typical capacity. Overall, Americans enjoy a high degree of energy reliability.

Though it is common knowledge that energy production causes considerable environmental damage, many people are confused about the nature of the relationship between energy use and environmental damage over time. That relationship is not linear but rather a Kuznets curve, similar to an inverted “U” shape, which indicates the phases society passes through. Air pollution levels, for example, continue to decline sharply in the developed world as newer technologies are

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deployed. Because development leads to reduced environmental impact, the single best thing we can do is to foster economic growth in the developing world. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 reminds us of the importance of context in assessing environmental impact.

For decades politicians have been fond of promising rapid energy transitions, but energy systems are like an aircraft carrier: expensive, built to last, and with significant momentum once they’re in motion.

Every U.S. president since Richard Nixon has extolled the need for “energy independence.” Both “energy independence” and “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts. There are three important reasons why we purchase much of our oil from other countries: first, we need it to keep our economy running. Second, we decided long ago, partly for environmental reasons, that we don’t want to produce as much oil domestically as we’re capable of producing. And third, there are benefits to being in a trading relationship with other countries.

It is also important to consider the potential for unintended consequences emerging from governmental interventions in energy markets. Government actions are particularly prone to unintended consequences because governments often act on much larger scales than any private entity, and because the problem of incentives and responsibilities often leads government actions to go astray. The adoption of policies favoring the use of corn-derived ethanol as a motor fuel is a useful illustration. Political and industry support of ethanol often ignores its many downsides, including the fact it has led to higher food prices at home and abroad.

Smart policy decisions about energy sources and uses will seek to maintain the current high degree of energy reliability while improving access and capacity, balancing environmental and international commercial interests, and minimizing negative consequences of government involvement in a complex global system.

Kenneth P. Green is a former resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. An environmental scientist by training, he has studied public policy involving risk, regulation, and the environment at public policy research institutions across North America. He is the author of numerous studies, articles, newspaper columns, encyclopedia and book chapters, and a middle school textbook on global warming.

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Outline of Abundant Energy

I. CHAPTER ONE: HOMO SAPIENS OR HOMO IGNIFERENS?

A. We are not simply beings that use energy; we are beings that exist only because we harnessed energy.

B. All known human societies relied on the controlled use of fire for cooking, lighting, and protection.

C. Virtually all advances in human society stem from the direct or indirect use of energy.

D. Evidence suggests that ancient humans were fully in control of fire at least one and a half million years ago.

E. Two recent books by anthropologists argue that primitive man’s use of fire led to sweeping biological and cognitive changes.

F. Understanding energy starts with understanding and accepting that we are no longer capable of surviving long or well without access to fire in its many forms.

II. CHAPTER TWO: ENERGY AFFORDABILITY

A. We pay both directly and indirectly for the energy we consume. B. In 2005, the average American household spent around $1,800 on direct energy

use (not counting transportation), and about $2,000 on gasoline.C. Direct energy expenditure thus consumed just over 8% of the household budget.D. Indirect energy consumption is more complex, with health care and food together

forming over 50% of costs.E. Contrary to expectations, a vegetarian diet requires only slightly less energy than

a meat-inclusive diet.F. Transportation accounts for about 14% of the total energy consumed by the

American food system, so local vs. distant production of food is a relatively minor factor.

G. The poor spend a greater proportion of their income on energy than those better off.

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III. CHAPTER THREE: ENERGY RELIABILITY

A. The August 2003 power outage was the second most widespread electricity blackout in history.

B. Power failure affects much more than just lights, including water systems, transportation infrastructure, cell phones, trains, and manufacturing.

C. The economic impact is significant: blackouts cost up to $130 billion every year.D. Different types of power generation have different levels of reliability and typical

capacity.E. Overall, Americans enjoy a high degree of energy reliability.

IV. CHAPTER FOUR: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

A. It is common knowledge that energy production causes considerable environmental damage.

B. Many are confused about the nature of the relationship between energy use and environmental damage over time.

C. That relationship is not linear but rather a Kuznets curve, similar to an inverted “U” shape, that indicates the phases society passes through.

D. Air pollution levels, for example, continue to decline sharply in the developed world as newer technologies are used.

E. In the developing world, by contrast, indoor air pollution is a major cause of death.

F. Because development leads to reduced environmental impact, the single best thing we can do is to foster economic growth in the developing world.

G. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 reminds us of the importance of context in assessing environmental impact.

V. CHAPTER FIVE: ENERGY SYSTEM INERTIA AND MOMENTUM

A. Politicians are fond of promising rapid energy transitions, but energy systems are like an aircraft carrier: expensive, built to last, and with significant momentum once they're in motion.

B. There are three kinds of momentum:1. Technological momentum2. Labor-pool momentum3. Economic momentum

VI. CHAPTER SIX: ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY

A. Every U.S. president since Nixon has extolled the need for “energy independence”; however, both “energy independence” and “energy security” are slippery concepts.

B. There are three reasons we purchase much of our oil from other countries:1. We need it to keep our economy running.

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2. We decided a long time ago that we didn’t want to produce as much oil domestically as we’re capable of, partly for environmental reasons.

3. There are benefits to being in a trading relationship with other countries.

VII. CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DANGER OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: THE ETHANOL FIASCO

A. It is also important to consider the potential for unintended consequences emerging from governmental interventions in energy markets.

B. Government actions are particularly prone to unintended consequences because:1. Governments often act on much larger scales than any private entity. 2. The problem of incentives and responsibilities can often lead government

actions to go astray.C. One of the most illustrative cases of unintended consequences in recent U.S.

history is the adoption of policies favoring the use of corn-derived ethanol as a motor fuel.

D. Research has shown, however, that ethanol has a number of downsides:1. Ethanol blended with gasoline increases the formation of greenhouse

gases vs. gasoline by itself.2. Ethanol use increases the emission of chemicals that lead to the

production of ozone.3. Producing ethanol from corn requires massive amounts of fresh water, far

more than refining petroleum.4. More corn raised for ethanol means more fertilizers, pesticides, and

herbicides, and other harmful environmental consequences.5. Meeting U.S. ethanol goals would require a huge amount of additional

land cultivation.6. Corn ethanol has led to higher food prices at home and abroad.

E. Contrary to popular belief, terrorist groups are not dependent on oil money.

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Question Bank and Other Resources

Short-Answer Questions

CHAPTER ONE: HOMO SAPIENS OR HOMO IGNIFERENS?

1. What kinds of changes to the human body were caused by early human use of fire, according to recent anthropological studies?

Pages 19-21: Changes in the human genome, brain development, digestive system, dentition, hairiness, and hormonal activity.

2. How long ago did our human ancestors first use fire?

Pages 19-21: At least 1.5 million years. Some estimates place the first use of fire at 1.9 million or even 6 million years ago.

3. What kinds of advances in human society stem from the direct or indirect use of energy? List at least three examples.

Page 18: Examples include increased security, food availability, physical comfort, time for leisure, and time to influence the world.

CHAPTER TWO: ENERGY AFFORDABILITY

1. According to the E.F. Schumacher quote opening the chapter, energy is the “precondition of all commodities.” Why?

Pages 28-30: No goods or services can be produced without energy. Behind every product is a significant amount of unseen energy.

2. How much do Americans typically spend on energy directly each year, including gas and all other energy costs?

Page 28: In 2005, the average American household spent around $1,800 on energy use directly (not counting transportation), and about $2,000 on gas.

3. What does “food miles” refer to? Is this an effective tool for measuring energy consumption and the environmental impact of modern food production?

Page 34-36: It refers to the distance food travels from farms to retailers. Measuring the cost per food mile helps calculate the overall cost of food production and delivery.

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Researchers have concluded that food miles are, at best, a marketing fad and, at worst, a dangerous distraction from the serious issues affecting energy consumption and environmental impact of modern food production.

CHAPTER THREE: ENERGY RELIABILITY

1. How can a single power outage cause significant economic harm?

Page 41: Power is necessary for many different systems and sectors to function, including transportation, cellphones, manufacturing, trains, water, etc.

2. What is the “capacity factor” of energy production?

Page 44: This refers to the ratio of how much energy is produced over a given period of time compared to how much could be produced if the generator ran at its peak operation level in the same time.

CHAPTER FOUR: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

1. Why is accelerating economic growth the best way to minimize negative economic impact in developing countries?

Page 56: Because developed countries burn fuels in more efficient ways which cause less environmental damage.

2. Summarize the relationship between energy consumption and environmental impact over time.

Page 51-52: As a country grows, it often uses more of a resource than its local environment can sustain. People realize this and take action, over time reducing resource use to a sustainable level.

3. Compare U.S. air pollution levels between 1990 and 2008.

Page 54: Pollution levels were reduced by a substantial margin over that eighteen-year span.

CHAPTER FIVE: ENERGY SYSTEM INERTIA AND MOMENTUM

1. What is wrong with politicians’ common promises of rapid energy transitions?

Page 64: Energy systems are like an aircraft carrier, and their course can’t be changed on a dime; they’re expensive, built to last, and have significant momentum once they’re in motion.

2. Name two types of momentum that are characteristic of energy systems.

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Pages 65-68: technological momentum, labor-pool momentum, economic momentum

CHAPTER SIX: ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY

1. What is the number-one source of imported oil in the United States?

Page 75: Canada, followed by Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

2. What are two reasons why the U.S. continues to import oil from other countries?

Pages 73-76: Environmental concerns limit domestic oil production; imported oil often costs less than domestically produced oil; trade relations with other countries can bring both economic and non-economic benefits.

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DANGER OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: THE ETHANOL FIASCO

1. Why are government actions particularly prone to unintended consequences?

Page 80: Governments often act on much larger scales than any private entity, and the problem of incentives and responsibilities can often lead government actions to go astray.

2. What is the appeal of ethanol?

Page 83: It has been perceived and described (not always accurately) as being good for America’s rural communities, as better for the environment than gasoline, as being derived from more versatile sources, and as helping wean America off dependency on Middle Eastern oil.

3. What are the downsides of ethanol? List three.

Pages 85-95: (1) Ethanol blended with gasoline increases the formation of greenhouse gases more than gasoline by itself. (2) Ethanol use increases the emission of chemicals that lead to the production of ozone. (3) Producing ethanol from corn requires massive amounts of fresh water, far more than refining petroleum. (4) More corn raised for ethanol means more fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and other harmful environmental consequences. (5) Meeting U.S. ethanol goals would require a huge amount of additional land cultivation. (6) Corn ethanol has led to higher food prices at home and abroad.

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Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following consumes the most energy in the American food system?

A. Transportation.B. Storage and preparation at home.C. Agriculture.D. Waste.

Answer: B

2. Which of the following U.S. presidents has extolled the need for energy independence?

A. Nixon.B. Carter.C. Reagan.D. All of the above.

Answer: D

3. Which of the following has the highest capacity factor?

A. Natural gas.B. Coal.C. Nuclear.D. Wind.

Answer: C

4. Estimates for the time when human first started using fire include:

A. 6 million years ago.B. 1.5 million years ago.C. 1.9 million years ago.D. All of the above.

Answer: D

5. Is more oil spilled in the U.S. in tanker accidents or off-shore drilling accidents?

A. Tanker accidents.B. Off-shore drilling accidents.C. About the same.D. Neither is a significant source of spillage.

Answer: A

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Essay or Term-Paper Suggestions

1. Discuss how bringing affordable energy to people in developing countries could alleviate their most common health and nutritional problems.

2. Imagine you live on the fifteenth floor of a high-rise. Describe all the ways you’d be affected if the power goes out for a week, and how you might compensate for the outage.

3. Explain why it would be undesirable to drive pollution or resource use down to zero, rather than trying to stabilize both pollution and resource use at a sustainable level.

4. Explain the concept of unintended consequences and suggest ways to minimize the possibility of unintended consequences in energy regulation.

Cross Disciplines

1. History / American Studies: Trace the history of the environmental movement since World War II. How have changing environmental emphases been impacted by changing patterns of energy consumption and concerns?

2. Political Science: What are the landmark developments in the history of American energy regulation?

3. Literature / American Studies: Compare and contrast two classic works of the environmental movement, such as H.D. Thoreau’s Walden, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

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For Further Reading

Botkin, Daniel B. Powering the Future (2010). Assesses the prospects and risks associated with every leading and emerging source of energy. Addresses the energy distribution system, outlining how it currently works, identifying its inefficiencies, and reviewing options for improving it. Offers a recommended path to a sustainable, energy-independent future.

Burton, Frances D. Fire: The Spark that Ignited Human Evolution (2009). Combs the evidence for clues to how our ancestors went from observing wild grassland fires to producing and using their own, and how that ability furthered evolutionary development.

Lustgarten, Abrahm. Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster (2012). Uses interviews with key executives, former government investigators, and whistle-blowers along with his exclusive access to BP’s internal documents and emails to weave an investigative narrative that starts well before the gulf oil spill.

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2007). Investigates in detail where our food comes from and asks basic questions about the moral and ecological consequences of our food.

Smil, Vaclav. Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate (2010). Addresses common fallacies about the future of global energy with a scientific perspective.

Wrangham, Richard. Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human (2010). Argues that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began.

Yergin, Daniel. The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World (2012). Explains how climate change became a great issue and leads readers through the rebirth of renewable energies, energy independence, and the return of the electric car.

Zehner, Ozzie. Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism (2012). Argues that we need to shift our focus from suspect alternative energies to improving social and political fundamentals.

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Further Online Resources for Abundant Energy

The Role of Fire in Human Evolution

“Control of Fire by Early Humans,” Wikipedia.Derr, Mark. “Of Tubers, Fire, and Human Evolution,” The New York Times, 16 January 2001. “Light My Fire: Cooking as a Key to Human Evolution,” Science Daily, 10 August 1999.

The Cost of Energy in the U.S. Drewnowski, Adam and Specter, SE. “Poverty and Obesity: The Role of Energy Density and Energy Costs,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004.“Energy Cost Impacts on American Families, 2001-2012,” American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, February 2012.Green, Kenneth P. and Aparna Mathur. “Indirect Energy and Your Wallet,” American Enterprise Institute, 2008.Green, Kenneth P. and Aparna Mathur. “Measuring and Reducing Americans’ Indirect Energy Use,” American Enterprise Institute, 2008.“Monthly Deliveries of Fossil Fuels to Both Utility and Nonutility Generating Facilities,” U.S. Energy Information Administration.“Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenue Report with State Distributions,” U.S. Energy Information Administration.“Monthly Energy Review,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, current. Pelsoci, Thomas M. “Retrospective Benefit-Cost Evaluation of U.S. D.O.E. Wind Energy R&D Program,” U.S. Department of Energy, June 2010.“Transparent Cost Database,” Open Energy Information. Energy, Development, and the Environment Ausubel, Jesse H. “The Liberation of the Environment,” Daedalus, Summer 1996.Bryce, Robert. “Keeping the Poor in the Dark,” National Review Online, August 2013.Dincer, Ibrahim and Rosen, Marc A. “A Worldwide Perspective on Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development,” International Journal of Energy Research, December 1998; and “Revised,”  Applied Energy, September 1999.Hammond, G.P. “Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development: A UK Perspective,” Sustainable Development, July 2000.Jones, Jeffrey M. “Americans Prioritize Energy Over Environment for First Time,” Gallup, April 2010.

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Jones, Jeffrey M. “Americans Still Divided on Energy-Environment Trade-Off,” Gallup, April 2013.Newport, Frank. “Americans Still Favor Nuclear Power a Year After Fukushima,” Gallup, March 2012. Oyedepo, Sunday Olayinka. “Energy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward,” Energy, Sustainability, and Society; July 2012.Tierney, John. “Use Energy, Get Rich, and Save the Planet,” The New York Times, 20 April 2009.

Energy Independence

Bryce, Robert. “Forty   Years After OPEC Embargo, U.S. is Energy Giant,”  Bloomberg, October 2013.Grimes, William. “Heard the One about the Farmer’s Ethanol?” Book Review for: A Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence, by Robert Bryce. The New York Times, March 2008.Krauss, Clifford. “Energy Independence in the United States? Don’t Pop the Cork Yet,” The New York Times, November 2012.Miller, Gregory D. “The Security Costs of Energy Independence,” The Washington Quarterly, March 2010.Walsh, Bryan. “The Myth of Energy Independence,” Time, May 2013. Renewable and Alternative Energy Bomani, Bilal. “Plant Fuels That Could Power a Jet,”  NASA via Ted Talk, January 2012. Video.“Capacity Factor and Renewable Energy,” Wikipedia.“Community Wind Power Fact Sheet 2a,” Renewable Energy Research Laboratory, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.“Ethanol,” Alternative Fuels Data Center, September 2013.Gorter, Harry de and Just, David R. “The Social Costs and Benefits of Biofuels: The Intersection of Environmental, Energy and Agricultural Policy,” Oxford Journal, Spring 2010.Green, Kenneth P. “Ethanol and the Environment,” American Enterprise Institute, 2008.“Hydroelectricity,” New World Encyclopedia.“International Energy Outlook 2013,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2013.Lafrancois, Becky A. “Investment in Intermittent Renewables under a Renewable Electricity Standard,” United States Association of Energy Economics, 2013.“Momentum,” Wikipedia.“Renewable Energy Technical Potential: charts, projections, info and tools,” October 2013.

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Shogren, Elizabeth. “For 30 Years, a Political Battle Over Oil and ANWR,” National Public Radio, November 2005. Audio. “The Ethanol Gas-Pump Surcharge,” The Wall Street Journal, March 2013. Different Perspectives Bryce, Robert. “Four Numbers Say Wind and Solar Can’t Save Climate,” Bloomberg, September 2013.Cambanis, Thanassis. “American Energy Independence: The Great Shake Up,” The Boston Globe, May 2013.Fischetti, Mark. “The Human Cost of Energy,” Scientific American, August 2011.Stauffer, Nancy. “MIT Ethanol Analysis Confirms Benefits of Biofuels,” MIT News, January 2007.Wang, Michael and Santini, Dan. “Corn-Based Ethanol Does Indeed Achieve Energy Benefits,” Center for Transportation Research, February 2000.

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