There is no energy transition

THE "energy transition" is a key aspiration of those concerned with climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and a goal that is being pursued with great vigor by global and national policymakers and development institutions of every scale. The reality, however, is that "energy transition" is still more a buzzword than a functional process. There is no energy transition, practically speaking; while we can reasonably take the optimistic view that humanity is moving in the direction of a shift away from fossil fuel use, at best, we have only recently stepped over the starting line of that evolution.

Before I go any further, I must acknowledge the extensive writings of Richard Heinberg of the Post Carbon Institute (PCI) for articulating many of the "something isn't right" thoughts I have had concerning the "energy transition" specifically and the world's approach to addressing the consequences of climate change in general. In a recent (August 22) commentary posted to the Resilience.org website, Heinberg wrote, "A boosterish attitude on the part of many renewable energy advocates is understandable: overcoming people's climate despair and sowing confidence could help muster the needed groundswell of motivation to end our collective fossil fuel dependency. But sometimes a reality check is in order."