SECURE ENERGY AND THE ROLE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability has become a broadly used term that includes diverse scientific fields, economics, business, politics, and even beliefs. In its simplest form, sustainability means to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Yet global energy is not simple. It impacts all facets of life. And therefore economies seek secure energy: affordable, available, reliable… and sustainable. For example, some suggest that the production and consumption of coal is unsustainable, even though it, arguably, does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their energy needs. However, the expanded use of coal may compromise the sustainability of the environment, especially the atmosphere. But because coal is affordable, available, and reliable, China and other developing nations continue to expand their consumption, as do, surprisingly and ironically, Germany and some other developed nations who have placed moratoria on nuclear and hydraulic fracturing. Thus, even clean-thinking nations make energy choices based on all four aspects of security: affordability, availability, reliability, and sustainability. A primary future global challenge will be to balance the sustainability desires and expectations of developed nations with the security needs of developing nations.