Epstein, who spoke at an event hosted by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, said a livable planet depends on low-cost reliable energy and that relies on fossil fuels.
During a Mississippi Center of Public Policy (MCPP) luncheon on Tuesday, Alex Epstein, the best-selling author of Fossil Future, discussed the importance of low-cost, reliable energy, including fossil fuel energy, in empowering people to improve their lives and environment.
MCPP has stated that federal politicians are pursuing a “net zero” agenda while attempting to eliminate fossil fuels in favor of unreliable solar and wind energy.
Epstein, a fossil fuel advocate, said he is as scared of losing low-cost reliable energy as Greta Thunberg is scared of climate change.
“We’re worrying about climate change because it can make the world an unlivable place,” Epstein claimed. “My view is that the earth is actually an unlivable place. The typical person, before we had modern energy, modern civilization, they lived a life of around thirty years old, they had $500 worth of income and resources, the death rate was very high, and the basic reason is the earth is a very inhospitable place and the only way to make it an abundant and safe place is to very productive.”
Epstein noted that low-cost reliable energy means low-cost food for every machine in civilization. The lower-cost and more reliable the energy, he stated, the lower-cost and more reliable everything in production is.
“You can think of it as like, you know, those falling prices at Walmart or rising prices at the gas station. When energy becomes cheaper, everything becomes cheaper and more accessible,” Epstein explained. “When it becomes more expensive or less reliable, everything becomes more expensive or less reliable. So, I really think of it as a livable planet depends on low-cost reliable energy.”
Epstein spoke about his book, Fossil Future, and explained that it examines the question of “What should we be doing about fossil fuels?” in a full-context way. He noted that despite all of the competitors fossil fuels have had, they still provide 80% of the world’s energy.
“I think people should recognize that there’s something very special about fossil fuels,” Epstein said.
The author has partnered with Young America’s Foundation to offer free hardcover copies of Fossil Future to students and educators who are interested in energy and environmental issues. Students and teachers can get a copy of Fossil Future by clicking here.
He explained that as a college student at Duke University, he learned next to nothing about how fossil fuels improve billions of lives around the world.
“However, I was – like most students are today – exposed to endless proselytizing about how fossil fuels are causing climate catastrophe,” Epstein continued. “I wrote Fossil Future to be the book I wish I had gotten as a student – a book that uses primary sources, big-picture thinking, and clear explanations to help us make the right energy choices going forward.”
Anne Summerhays
