Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas—Not Less

Epstein (The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels), founder of the Center for Industrial Progress think-tank, shuttles between grandiosity and dubious claims in this bloated argument to increase the use of fossil fuels over alternative energy initiatives. Using a framework of prioritizing “human flourishing,” Epstein argues that much of human progress can be attributed to the use of coal and oil, that the global poverty rate has gone down as a direct result of fossil fuel usage, and that “the negative climate impacts of fossil fuels will be far, far outweighed by the unique benefits.” Many of his statements are hard to take seriously: a net-zero policy “would certainly be the most significant act of mass murder since the killings of one hundred million people by communist regimes,” he suggests, and attempts to eliminate fossil fuel dependence will result in “a threat to the long-term existence of the United States.” His points about how scientific assessments are not always accurately conveyed to the public in the media and that calamity sells over thoughtful assessment are solid, but his ensuing leap to reverse course and expand fossil fuel usage comes up rather short. What Epstein breathlessly characterizes as “spread[ing] the truth” lands as manic and petulant. (Apr.)