May 12: Deep Climate Conversations: Climate, War, and Energy Security
Aseem Prakash
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What do the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine tell us about the relationship between climate, energy security, and energy transition? Would these conflicts revive the fossil fuel industry and encourage more exploration? Or might these conflicts encourage energy transition?
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How do geopolitical dynamics intersect with conceptions of energy security? For example, disruptions in global oil and gas trade create national security problems because countries rely on imported fuels to generate electricity, produce heat, and transport. While decarbonization technologies reduce dependence on imported fuels, would they create new import dependencies given China's dominance in solar and wind supply chains?
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Recent conflicts have been associated with increased fuel costs. 1973 OPEC price shock led some countries, such as France, to embrace nuclear energy. Do you see a revival of nuclear energy, at least for electricity generation, in the aftermath of recent wars? What other policy responses are possible and likely here?
Professor, Department of Political Science
Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences
Founding Director, UW Center for Environmental Politics
University of Washington, Seattle