10.6: Student Resources

Key Terms/Glossary

• Climate justice: approach to climate change mitigation which seeks to ensure that the concerns and needs of disproportionately impacted, under-resourced groups are addressed in a just way, especially since these groups contributed the least to climate change.
• Energy security: whether a country has access to uninterrupted and affordable energy.
• Energy transition: the movement away from one primary energy source to another, which often entails the development of relevant technologies and markets for the newer energy source.
• Fossil fuel: a natural energy source such as coal, gas, and oil, which formed over millions of years ago from organic matter. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources.
• Fracking: hydraulic fracturing involves forcing a slurry of water, sand, and chemicals through fissures in shale rock formations to release oil or natural gas deposits.
• Geopolitics: the ways in which geographical features – including endowments of minerals and resources – shapes the power of countries and other influential actors in global affairs.
• Global civil society: nongovernmental organizations, associations, and groups which are global in scope and pressure key decision-makers to adopt their preferred policies.
• Greenhouse Gases: gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and influencing global climate patterns.
• Primary energy source: energy in its raw fuel form. Common primary energy sources include fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. Renewable energy sources such as sunlight, wind, moving water, and geothermal energy are also primary energy sources
• Renewable energy source: energy derived from naturally replenishing sources, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are considered sustainable and have lower environmental impacts.
• Resource curse: the theory that some countries with natural resource wealth, especially in minerals such as oil, have poor governance and development outcomes. This may stem from concentration in control of the natural resources and over-reliance on export revenues.
• Secondary energy source: An energy source that is generated from primary energy sources. Electricity is a common secondary energy source

Summaries

10.1 Introduction: The Changing Map of Energy

Our current period of globalization has been fueled in no small part by the globalization of energy. The world remains dependent on non-renewable fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) as primary energy sources, but there has been movement to become carbon-neutral in coming decades. Global markets in fossil fuels remain robust – due in no small part to the emergence of the U.S. as a leader in gas and oil production, followed by Saudi Arabia and Russia – but many regions of the world are poised to shift more decisively toward renewable sources of energy.

10.2 Background: From Fossil Fuel Boom to Energy Transition

Energy transitions have shaped fundamental aspects of our lives. Industrialization and the intensive use of fossil fuels, notably coal, oil and natural gas, have been major causes of climate change. This has prompted calls for an energy transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewables. An array of international organizations has sought to shape the terms of this Twenty-first Century energy transition, which has made some progress but will take decades to enact.

10.3 Theories and Concepts: Geopolitics, Energy Security, Climate Justice

The distribution of energy endowments around the world relates to concepts such as geopolitics and energy security. A country may benefit from the rich energy endowments that stem from its geography, but this is not a certainty. Some resource-abundant countries, especially those with oil, may suffer from a resource curse. This curse may be evident in underdevelopment, high inequality, and/or poor governance. The resource curse does not apply universally, nor does geography dictate the fate of a country. Additional factors such as technological change, trade patterns, and shifting politics in a dynamic world all shape the energy security profile of a given country. An expansive climate justice movement is also shaping worldwide agendas with regard to climate change and energy transition.

10.4 At Home and Abroad: The Politics of Pipelines

Gas and oil pipelines are a critical component of the global circulation of energy. Political interests are arrayed for and against the construction of pipelines. Gas and oil companies argue that pipelines provide access to affordable energy, while detractors maintain that pipelines are environmentally irresponsible and disrupt the land and communities.

Suggestions for Further Study

Websites:

• En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator
• Student Energy’s Energy System Map
• Tracking UN Sustainable Development Goal 7: The Energy Progress Report
• United Nations Climate Action
• U.S. Energy Information Administration

Documentaries:

• PBS Frontline: The Power of Big Oil (2022)
• An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017)

Books:

• Rhodes, R. Energy: A Human History, Simon & Schuster, 2018.
• Thunberg, G., The Climate Book, Penguin Random House, 2023.

Review Questions

1. All of the following are considered among the "big three" oil and natural gas producers in the world EXCEPT:
   1. Iran
   2. Saudi Arabia
   3. United States
   4. Russia
2. Climate justice refers to:
   1. Ensuring that the needs of groups which are disproportionately harmed by climate change are addressed
   2. Acknowledging that the costs of climate change will be borne most by those who have contributed least to the problem
   3. Shifting the conversation on climate change to focus on just, fair, inclusive, and equitable solutions
   4. All of the above
3. All of the following have been energy transitions in human history EXCEPT:
   1. From wood to coal
   2. From coal to oil
   3. From oil to hydrogen
   4. From traditional biomass to coal
4. All of the following are primary sources of energy in North America EXCEPT:
   1. Tar sands
   2. Shale rock formations
   3. Electricity
   4. Solar photovoltaics (solar PV)
5. The Keystone XL pipeline:
   1. Will carry gas from Mexico to Canada
   2. Is the largest oil pipeline in the world
   3. Spans the Indian Ocean
   4. Was never built due to political activism and presidential veto

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Together with a classmate, explore one form of renewable energy. Where in the world is it used most intensively, and where is it being developed? What are some of the most significant barriers – including technological, political, economic, and social factors – to adoption of this renewable energy source?
2. Write an evidence-based advocacy letter to either the leaders of UN Climate Change or CEO of a major global non-renewable energy company in which you explain why energy transition to renewables is imperative. Be sure to explain why such a transition is in their interest.
3. Select a country of the world. Research its current energy profile, including sources of energy and plans to shift its energy mix. What might a climate justice organization advocate for this country to achieve a just energy transition?