Politicizing the Environmental Debate, 2000–2017 259
Source: A. The National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #MKE-11-030 (Opposition to Construction of
the Keystone XL Pipeline and Urging the U.S. to Reduce
Reliance on Oil from Tar Sands and Instead, to Work
towards Cleaner, Sustainable Energy Solutions) adopted
by the General Assembly at the 2011 Mid-Year Session
of the National Congress of American Indians, held at
the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI on June
13-16, 2011. B. https://www.thenation.com/article/bill-
mckibben-naomi-klein-call-civil-disobedience-tar-sands/
June 22, 2011.We know we’re asking a lot. You should think
long and hard on it, and pray if you’re the pray-
ing type. But to us, it’s as much privilege as bur-
den to get to join this fight in the most serious
possible way. We hope you’ll join us.
p.s.—Please pass this letter on to anyone else you
think might be interested. We realize that what
we’re asking isn’t easy, and we’re very grateful
that you’re willing even to consider it.
Document 175: Daniel Yergin on Global Energy Demand (2013)
Daniel Yergin, the author of The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World, and one
of the most influential experts on energy in the world, predicts tremendous growth in the demand for energy
during coming decades. To meet these needs and to prevent environmental degradation, innovation and energy
efficiency will be required. Because the lead time for developing and bringing new energy resources on line can
be ten or more years, if the United States lags in the development of non-fossil-fuel energy sources, the gap will
quickly be filled elsewhere, perhaps in China.The harnessing of energy is what makes possible the
world as we know it. The bounty can be measured
in terms of virtually everything we do in the course
of a day. But can we bet on that for the future?
The growth in world energy demand in the com-
ing decades will be very large, an increase of
as much as 35 to 40 percent by 2030. Can this
need be met? This increase alone will be greater
than all the energy that the world consumed in
- Underpinning it all is a fundamental shift
in global energy demand, which reflects big
changes in the world economy.
At the start of the 21st century, “developed” coun-
tries still represented two-thirds of total oil demand.
By the end of the decade the split was 50-50 and the
shift continues to this day. In terms of oil, North
America, Europe and Japan have already reached
peak demand. Because of demographics, increased
efficiency and substitution, their petroleum con-
sumption will be flat or declining.
The story will be entirely different in emerging
markets owing to what I call the “globalization
of demand.” China already consumes more
total energy than the United States. The same
will be true of oil perhaps by the end of the
decade, as China becomes more motorized.
This year, 20 million new cars will be sold in
China, compared to about 15 million in the
United States. Some think that number could
grow to 30 million.Even with much greater energy efficiency, ris-
ing incomes and standards of living will mean
much greater requirement for energy. What kind
of energy mix would make this possible without
crisis and confrontation? The answers to these
questions will be critical to the future.Innovation will be critical. Fortunately, innova-
tion is a constant feature of the energy system.
Solar and wind, which have become so promi-
nent, really had their origins as innovations in
the 1970s and 1980s.The biggest innovation so far in the 21st century
is shale gas and the development of “tight oil”
that has come with it. This has now reached
such a scale that it can be called the “unconven-
tional revolution in oil and natural gas.”