Energy Today - Energy Jargon for Friends

Published: Mon, 03/18/24

Friends: The week of March 4, 2024

"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language."

— George Orwell, "Politics & The English Language"

Orwell's essay was published in 1946, but very little has changed. Too often the words we use are vague, insincere, and pretentious, making conversations "fail all the more completely."

When we talk about energy, we descend down the same path.

The words we use are part of a conscious process meant to communicate. By cleaning up our language we can communicate more effectively and with more civility. But clearer, civil conversation requires more than correct grammar, syntax, or the use of "good prose." It's harder than that. It's about making unambiguous statements using clearly defined phrases and letting meaning choose the word and not the other way around.

This issue of Energy Today looks at 5 energy jargon phrases and how we might talk about these concepts more effectively.

Energy Security

We all want energy security, but how do we get it? There are three ways that the US can become more energy secure. The first is to "Buy American." A second option is to take a "Made in America" approach. A third option is for the US to promote energy security abroad.

This article argues that the optimal strategy may be a combination of all three.

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a problem. It's everywhere, it’s very effective, and it works especially well on those who say they are concerned about the environment.

But, this article makes a case that greenwashing is not always a "lie."

Energy Independence

The appeal of energy independence does not survive scrutiny in the harsh light of day.

While the benefits of energy self-sufficiency may be considerable, this article argues that the prescriptions for getting there are more toxic than the affliction of energy dependence itself.

Net Zero

The origins of “net zero” as a concept can be traced back to a single clunky sentence written in the 2018 IPCC report: “In model pathways with no or limited overshoot of 1.5°C, global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050.” The impact of this sentence has been dramatic and has become one of the most influential statements in human history.

This article argues that the sentence is also fundamentally flawed ... and dangerous.

For AES Members only ...

New Normal

Climate-related disasters — from smoke-filled skies to lethal heat waves — are redefining what "normal" means. Yet, accepting contemporary conditions as the "new normal" fails to consider the full impact of large-scale change.

This article suggests that "baseline creep" is a better way to think about large-scale change.

In case you missed it...

The energy news you needed to know last week,

series 10; volume 5: week of March 11, 2024

About Energy Today: Energy Today, the official e-magazine of the American Energy Society, is an independent (classical liberalism) trade e-magazine about issues related to energy and the environment.

Scope & Aims: Energy Today is the foremost interdisciplinary forum for the publication of forward thinking and bold ideas about energy. Underpinning this objective is a commitment to independence and integrity, the delivery of high quality content and services, and a writing style that conveys significance in an engaging way.

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