No energy source is perfect. That was the theme of University of Texas geologist and filmmaker Scott Tinker’s keynote speech at Summer NAPE’s Business conference held Aug. 22.
“I think we all need to recognize what’s going on with various energies, that none of them are perfect, and they’re all having their day, and in some ways, that makes very good sense,” he said.
Tinker, who produced Switch, a documentary about the future of energy on a global scale, predicted that a growing myriad of energy sources, including natural gas and renewables, will eventually overtake oil and coal in the marketplace. In 1980, oil and coal made up 70% of the energy marketplace. By 2080, he predicted, it will only make up 40% while other sources will make up 60%.
Tinker also encouraged the industry to take an active role in educating the public about fuel sources, specifically, about fracing.
“When the comics are writing about you, just in case you didn’t think it was a big public deal, it’s a big public deal,” Tinker said, referencing a Dilbert cartoon that alluded to fracing. “That’s the lift that has to happen in public education in order for the U.S. to realize the tremendous benefit, the environmental and energy benefit, that natural gas brings.”
But Tinker also called for a cultural change to encourage greater energy efficiency down the line.
“Half of the energy that comes in gets wasted,” he said. “There are just so many things we could do better if we just get it in our heads, just think about energy differently and quit wasting it.”
Still, for all the advantages offered by increased efficiency, including saving money and energy and causing fewer emissions and less pollution, it does pose one great challenge: “It’s tough to incentivize producers to produce less,” he said.
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