About

HOW I THINK ABOUT ENERGY

I believe that we Americans are profoundly uneducated about energy and the amazing things that cheap, plentiful energy makes possible. I know this from personal experience. I did not learn much about energy issues during my formal education–even though I had studied at some of the most prestigious schools in the country.

I started studying energy out of professional necessity. Choosing a career as a general business writer straight out of college, I quickly discovered I needed to know something about oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear power, etc. But the more I researched, the more I became particularly fascinated by energy, because I learned that energy just wasn’t any other industry–it was the industry that made all the rest possible. Eventually, I decided to make energy my career focus, and to learn as much as I could about the science, the math, the technology, the economics, the history, and the policy of energy. However, my specialty is what I believe is the most neglected subject in the energy debate:  philosophy. Philosophy is the subject that teaches us how to think clearly and critically about our basic thinking methods and values–the methods and values that shape our conclusions in all areas of life.

For well over a decade, I have studied the practical application of philosophy to real-world problems. I am often told that I can break down issues unusually clearly; my “philosophical toolkit” is the reason why. Knowing philosophy is like having a mental x-ray machine that can penetrate to the heart of any issue–and a mental de-tangler that can straighten out even the messiest of controversies.

Whenever I examine an energy issue, I ask certain philosophical questions to gain clarity. For example: What are the unexamined assumptions people are making about this issue? What are they assuming about human nature, about resources, about good and bad, about the purpose of government? Are those assumptions true, false, or somewhere in between? If the assumptions are wrong, what is the truth that should replace them? Are the concepts people are using–such as “peak oil” to “renewable energy” to “safety” to “rent-seeking” to “green economy” to “energy independence”–clear and objectively defined? Or are some of them jumbled and easily manipulated? Are other thinkers taking into account a wide range of information from a wide variety of fields–from economics to history? Or are they drawing broad conclusions with only a narrow sliver of expertise?

The philosophical approach to energy issues, I believe, is the key to a clear understanding of the issues, and, as a consequence a passionate concern for their impact on your life. I try to create both clarity and passion in my work–in my writing, in Power Hour, in my media appearances, and in my public speaking. Please take advantage of these resources, and feel free to email me at alex@alexepstein.com with any questions or comments, or to book me to speak to your group in person.

–Alex Epstein