Defund Fossil Fuels: Good Catchphrase, Bad Energy Policy
the Plug #25 | A Reflection on 2021
“Simplicity avoids the superficial, penetrates the complex, goes to the heart of the problem and pinpoints the key factors.” - Wilfred Peterson
Every year, in mid-September, the who’s who of the fashion world descends upon a bourgeoisie event center on Manhattan’s fifth avenue.
A haphazard collection of models, designers, and Hollywood celebrities all flocking towards the Met Gala. Those in attendance sport ostentatious ball gowns and custom-made dinner jackets; each is competing for their fair share of press attention and media coverage.
The Met Gala is to fashion, what the Oscars is to film; it’s a huge deal… or so I’ve read. Admittedly, I don’t follow either industry particularly closely.
But this year, the Gala flashed repeatedly across my radar screen.
In 2021, House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her first Met Gala appearance. She wore a flowing white dress with big red letters across the back.
The wording was simple: “Tax the Rich.”
As you may remember, AOC’s Met Gala appearance stole the show.
CNN, the LA Times, USA Today, Bloomberg and Forbes are only a tiny sampling of the many media outlets that covered AOC’s public appearance. Some lauded her performance with praise, others with poignant scrutiny.
The only constant across the media landscape was the display of similar photos. Each highlighted the same simple message on the back of AOC’s dress.
“Tax the Rich.”
Why Simplism Grinds My Gears
Last week, I wrote about simplism: the oversimplification of an issue.
I wrote specifically about the impact (cough * the lack of impact * cough) that electric vehicle adoption will have on global oil demand. But on the topic of energy, simplism extends well beyond the anticipated demise of crude oil.
A reluctance to acknowledge and address complexity remains one of my biggest frustrations in energy-related coverage and rhetoric.
In particular, I struggle with the world’s unipolar focus on carbon emissions.
Undoubtedly, climate change and energy emissions are problematic. But I’ve found that too often, those standing at the bully pulpit ignore the complexities of our energy system and the sweeping positive impact that accessible, cheap, and reliable energy supply has on so many different facets of our lives.
It’s worth remembering that since the late 1800s, as emissions have risen exponentially, so too have human life expectancy and global living standards.
If simplism were a disease, today’s political establishment would be patient zero. And in AOC’s Met Gala appearance, I saw many similarities to another well-worn progressive battle cry: “Defund Fossil Fuels.”
Decarbonizing our energy system will be a central challenge in the decades ahead. But there are also conflicting challenges that need to be addressed, one of which is the persistence of global energy poverty.
Ignoring complexity will not make it go away. Instead, it’ll lead to short-sighted decisions that fail to anticipate the resulting consequences and second-order effects.
I’m told that the road to Rome was long and winding. I believe that so too will be our transition towards a cleaner energy system. Should we drive too quickly towards short-term goals, we may ultimately hinder our long-term objective: sweeping decarbonization.
And while “Defund Fossil Fuels” may also fit on the back of a dress, it is not a thoughtful energy policy.
A Reflection on Founding the Plug
My goal in writing the Plug has been to try and make sense of the beautiful complexities within our energy system. And to better understand its interconnectedness with other topics that interest me: climate change, politics, economics and psychology, to name a few.
Along the way, I’ve done my best to share some of those insights with you.
In the year to come, you can expect more of the same. My goal is to continue developing my understanding of our energy system, its intricacies, idiosyncracies, benefits and consequences.
To poke fun when possible, to make jokes when feasible, and to level criticism when appropriate.
To those reading this, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for taking the time to read my writing. And, especially, to the friends and family who have supported me along the way - whether through editing, sharing insights, providing emotional support or simply listening to me drone on about energy obscurities.
You are too many to count, but you know who you are.
You may be curious about the results of this science project to date. The stats below recap the Plug’s first half-year in circulation.
Posts: 25
Word Count: ~35,000
Email Opens: 14, 464
Page Visitors: 4,204
Subscribers: 506
While self-promotion feels like a nauseating task, I would appreciate your help in continuing to grow the Plug. As such, please consider sharing my newsletter with any friends, family or colleagues who may find it interesting.
In the future, I’d also encourage you to share your thoughts or questions as you read along. Doing so is as simple as replying to these emails.
I don’t expect you to agree with everything I write. Nor do I pretend to know everything about the topics I write about. Your thoughtful disagreement gives me a chance to continue refining my views on our energy industry.
Admittedly, I too find myself ensnared in the trappings of simplism every so often.
Longing For a Life of Simplicity & Ease
In the days that followed this year’s Met Gala, Paul Graham beautifully summarized the rationale behind AOC’s simplistic message.
“Focusing on taxing the rich is (a) easy and (b) creates an “other” you can paint as villains to rally your supporters. Whereas helping the poor is messy and complicated and doesn’t really excite mobs.”
The world certainly needs activists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greta Thunberg to continue raising awareness and to marshal support for social justice challenges. But I also believe that the world needs people to step up and voice their disagreement when rhetoric doesn’t match reality.
Because, unfortunately, simply taxing the rich will not put an end to wealth inequality. Similarly, defunding fossil fuels will not solve the plethora of sustainability challenges the world faces today.
I can’t help but posit that if the necessary solutions to the world’s problems were as simple as politicians portray them, we likely wouldn’t require politicians at all.
But sadly, that just isn’t a reality in the world we live in today.
“A reluctance to acknowledge and address complexity remains one of my biggest frustrations in energy-related coverage and rhetoric.” Well said. Happy New Year Adam!