203
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_11
Chapter 11
Balancing Energy, Environment,
and Economics
Fossil fuels have powered human civilization for more than two centuries. The
Industrial Revolution began in the early nineteenth century, when it was found that
steam from coal could be used to drive factories, mills, ships, and trains far more
efficiently than wind, water, or animal muscles. The first commercial production of
petroleum by Edwin Drake in 1859 for oil lamps led to the discovery over the next
half-century that this so-called “rock oil” could be used for a variety of purposes
including self-powered vehicles, ships capable of long-range voyages, heavier than
air flight, and electrical generation. As a technological civilization, humanity owes
a huge amount of our success to fossil fuels.
Nevertheless, fossil fuels have always had an issue with sustainability. Petroleum,
natural gas, and even coal resources are finite, and can only supply the energy needs
of humanity for a limited time. Many people have chosen to ignore this basic fact
because the future is often something no one wants to worry about, and humans in
general tend to resist change and avoid uncertainty. However, the facts are the facts,
and at some point we are going to need other sources of energy that are more sustainable. Fossil fuels have become at best a “bridge” to get human civilization to
more technologically advanced, sustainable energy resources.
The energy resources used by any society at any time are defined by technology,
controlled by economics, and directed by policy (Soeder and Borglum 2019). These
three factors: technology, economics, and policy must be considered in any comprehensive, sustainable energy solution. It is also important to note that although
change can be achieved by new technology, such as the advent of civilian nuclear
power when uranium became available as a byproduct of Cold War weapons programs, the timing of technological breakthroughs is inherently unpredictable.
Economics can also lead to change, such as the high natural gas prices that drove
shale gas development, but economic conditions are unstable and can shift rapidly,
as demonstrated by the ensuing glut of gas that depressed prices. The fastest and
most certain way to achieve change is through policy. For example, the government
of France decided years ago that most of their nation’s electricity would be generated by nuclear power, allowing France to ban fracking as a matter of policy with
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_11
Chapter 11
Balancing Energy, Environment,
and Economics
Fossil fuels have powered human civilization for more than two centuries. The
Industrial Revolution began in the early nineteenth century, when it was found that
steam from coal could be used to drive factories, mills, ships, and trains far more
efficiently than wind, water, or animal muscles. The first commercial production of
petroleum by Edwin Drake in 1859 for oil lamps led to the discovery over the next
half-century that this so-called “rock oil” could be used for a variety of purposes
including self-powered vehicles, ships capable of long-range voyages, heavier than
air flight, and electrical generation. As a technological civilization, humanity owes
a huge amount of our success to fossil fuels.
Nevertheless, fossil fuels have always had an issue with sustainability. Petroleum,
natural gas, and even coal resources are finite, and can only supply the energy needs
of humanity for a limited time. Many people have chosen to ignore this basic fact
because the future is often something no one wants to worry about, and humans in
general tend to resist change and avoid uncertainty. However, the facts are the facts,
and at some point we are going to need other sources of energy that are more sustainable. Fossil fuels have become at best a “bridge” to get human civilization to
more technologically advanced, sustainable energy resources.
The energy resources used by any society at any time are defined by technology,
controlled by economics, and directed by policy (Soeder and Borglum 2019). These
three factors: technology, economics, and policy must be considered in any comprehensive, sustainable energy solution. It is also important to note that although
change can be achieved by new technology, such as the advent of civilian nuclear
power when uranium became available as a byproduct of Cold War weapons programs, the timing of technological breakthroughs is inherently unpredictable.
Economics can also lead to change, such as the high natural gas prices that drove
shale gas development, but economic conditions are unstable and can shift rapidly,
as demonstrated by the ensuing glut of gas that depressed prices. The fastest and
most certain way to achieve change is through policy. For example, the government
of France decided years ago that most of their nation’s electricity would be generated by nuclear power, allowing France to ban fracking as a matter of policy with