Details
Energy is becoming ever more expensive. Heating our homes, fuelling our cars, and the goods we pay for are all rising in price because of the shortage of cheap and available energy in Europe. Some point to the war in Ukraine as the proximate cause of this shortfall, as the flow of Russian gas into Europe has begun to dry up due to political pressure and an explosive attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
However, more seems to be at play. Western economies have been making efforts to detransition from fossil fuels and shift towards renewable energy sources. However, this transition has not been without its challenges. The shift has resulted in an increase in the price of fossil fuels, without a corresponding decline in demand, leaving many to struggle with the rising cost of living. While renewables may show some promise as a long-term solution, there is still a need for a proper alternative to cope with the rising price of energy.
Others hail nuclear as the ideal solution to provide plentiful and clean energy forever. But nuclear seems incapable of getting off the ground. Germany recently shut down its last three nuclear reactors, which some have called ‚economic suicide.‘ Opponents of nuclear power, on the other hand, claim that it is a danger to us all and that abolisihing all nuclear reactors is something to be celebrated.
At present, somewhat ironically, governments are contemplating the use of more fossil fuels, not less, to compensate for the unreliability of renewables on windless days and when the sun isn’t shining. Coal, gas and oil certainly provide quick and easy solutions to today’s dearth of energy. Fracking remains a hotly contested issue, as ever. Growing concern around climate change further complicates matters.
What can we learn from the energy crisis? What caused it? Is there a way out of it? Join the Zurich Salon to discuss these questions and more with James Woudhuysen, a visiting professor at South Bank University, author and journalist.
