Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas--Not Less

In this talk, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein will make the case that if we look at not just the negative side-effects of fossil fuels but also their benefits, humanity should actually use more fossil fuels in the decades to come.

While the media today claim that we are in the midst of both a “renewable revolution” and “climate emergency,” reality proves the opposite.

• Fact: Fossil fuels are still the dominant source of energy around the world, and growing fast—while much-hyped renewables are causing skyrocketing electricity prices and increased blackouts.
• Fact: Fossil-fueled development has brought global poverty to an all-time low.
• Fact: While fossil fuels have contributed to the 1 degree of warming in the last 170 years, climate-related deaths are at all-time lows thanks to fossil-fueled development.

Today’s pervasive claims of imminent climate catastrophe and imminent renewable energy dominance, Epstein will argue, are based on faulty thinking methods, false assumptions, and anti-human values.

The path to global human flourishing, Epstein will argue, is a combination of using more fossil fuels, getting better at “climate mastery,” and establishing “energy freedom” policies that allow nuclear and other truly promising alternatives to reach their full long-term potential.