I thought this video was pretty insightful and Juan Enriquez does an excellent job explaining how we should take the idea of agriculture and apply it to the energy industry. More specifically, Enriquez points out to us that what we consider a chemical substance (i.e. petroleum or coal) is really condensed energy from sunlight.
Those who may recall biology class from high school or university will probably understand the whole process behind photosynthesis and the conversion of sunlight into energy. The hydrocarbons that we identify in petroleum or coal are essentially highly compressed forms of that sunlight, or rather the plant that had consumed the sunlight ages ago.
The key point that Enriquez makes is that we have to rethink how we regard fossil fuels — that is we have to think of them as an aspect of biology rather than under the umbrella of chemistry. The ideas that come out of this thinking has a significant impact on how we can effectively and efficiently produce energy without destroying the natural landscape or environment that surrounds the resource we are seeking.
Unfortunately we are still dealing with the idea of continuing to use fossil fuels, but it would be an impressive first step in the right direction for everyone if we could change the way we extract, produce and distribute energy resources. Enriquez last point is really intriguing. It is policy-related and involves a form of tax on gas to ensure that the price of oil remains stable in order to encourage businesses and entrepreneurs to research and develop alternatives. The only problem I can see with something like that is that politicians will have to take the risk in implementing these measures so I guess the question I would pose would be — is the voting public willing to accept such a tax?
