Carte Blanche or Coexistence?
Anticipating global energy usage
It is with a renewed sense of optimism that I returned from AAPG’s Global Super Basins Leadership Conference in Sugar Land, Texas. With an incredible lineup of speakers from across the globe, the subject matter was superb, touching on every angle of our energy sector. This was an excellent venue to showcase initiatives being made by professional geoscientists and engineers from the four corners of the planet in order to address not only the sustainability of affordable dependable energy upon which modern society depends, but also a collective recognition that the long-term solutions are likely binary rather than singularly focused.
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It is with a renewed sense of optimism that I returned from AAPG’s Global Super Basins Leadership Conference in Sugar Land, Texas. With an incredible lineup of speakers from across the globe, the subject matter was superb, touching on every angle of our energy sector. This was an excellent venue to showcase initiatives being made by professional geoscientists and engineers from the four corners of the planet in order to address not only the sustainability of affordable dependable energy upon which modern society depends, but also a collective recognition that the long-term solutions are likely binary rather than singularly focused.
Carbon capture utilization and sequestration, methane emissions reductions, renewable energy sources (although still heavily subsidized), frac’ water optimization, environmental footprint and waste reduction initiatives were also on participants mind. It was reassuring to be among professionals of all ages whose common purpose was promoting sound scientific principles and research rather than a singularly focused sense of conviction.
The time required to change from one state or condition to another is known as “transition.” The word “time” is essential here: no flick of a switch, no magic wand – just as it took years to get to where we are. This is in part why we are not talking about complete freedom to act as one wishes going forward.
Consideration of social benefit must guide our objectives, which means that it is unreasonable to expect other developing nations to forfeit their own natural resources when they are just on the cusp of developing them. To expect others to remain in energy poverty to accommodate our ideals is an unreasonable expectation. Coexistence of proven affordable energy, more responsible consumption and development of economically viable (non-subsidized) alternate sources by large consuming societies will be what allows us to narrow the gap between the ideals so often stated on social media platforms and the reality of keeping humanity on a path of long-term prosperity.
As global population rises and the quest for sustainable quality of life continues across the world, the answers lie in responsible scientifically broached solutions such as those reflected in the material presented at the 2020 Global Super Basins Leadership Conference.