Energy Security

'Essential reading.' Bernice Lee, Chatham House 'Lays out the energy security landscape with a commendable clarity that I have not seen elsewhere. It could help save the world.' Science, People & Politics "Accessible and exciting ... [this] is the first truly objective examination of the relationship between resource scarcity, security and ecological destruction." Neues Deutschland "Cuts through the confusion and complexity, clarifying the options for a sustainable energy future." Dan Esty, Yale University Humanity stands at a threshold: will its shared energy future be peaceful, or will it be threatened by resource wars? How can rapidly depleting resources be managed to the advantage of all, and therefore conflicts averted? How can we avoid irreparable damage to the last areas of untouched natural beauty, all in the name of accessing valuable resources? And how do we arrive at an international energy policy which not only provides safe, economical energy without conflict, but also addresses the all-important issue of climate change: What is the best way to achieve greater energy security? Energy Security addresses all of these questions, arguing for an urgent overhaul of international law and institutions to control relations with countries such as Russia, which own the world's remaining fuel supplies. The book presents alternatives to fossil fuels as two diametrically opposing strategies: the increased use of atomic energy; and a comprehensive climate protection policy with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. In times of international terrorism, there are heightened concerns about nuclear proliferation, and Energy Security argues that the future must belong to renewable energy. Published with the Heinrich Böll Foundation

Humanity stands at a threshold: will its shared energy future be peaceful, or will it be threatened by resource wars? How can rapidly depleting resources be managed to the advantage of all, and therefore conflicts averted? How can we avoid irreparable damage to the last areas of untouched natural beauty, all in the name of accessing valuable resources? And how do we arrive at an international energy policy which not only provides safe, economical energy without conflict, but also addresses the all-important issue of climate change: What is the best way to achieve greater energy security?

This book addresses all of these questions, starting with "What is Energy Security?" before moving on to argue that we are facing a new energy crisis. The author makes the case for the rule of international law and institutions to control the quest for oil and power. He describes how power structures have already shifted in favor of those who control the earth's last established energy resources and access to the global market—such as the tensions growing between Russia and the EU and the ascent of China and India with their intertwined foreign and energy policy—and delineates how international politics must react in order to resolve any potential conflicts in a cooperative and amicable manner.

The book presents alternatives to fossil fuels as two diametrically opposing strategies: the increased use of atomic energy; and a comprehensive climate protection policy with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. In times of international terrorism, there are heightened concerns about nuclear proliferation and this book argues that the future must belong to renewable energy.

Sascha Müller-Kraenner is Senior Policy Adviser and the European representative to The Nature Conservancy. He previously served as the Heinrich Böll Foundation's Director for Europe and North America, as well as head of the Foundation's program on foreign and security policy. From 1998-2002 he served as Director of the Foundation's office in Washington DC.