Inside Renewable Energy How to Exit the Age of Oil: Closing the Renewables Gap

We are living in an unprecedented time in history when the theory of unlimited economic growth is running into the reality of limited energy. Many people think that renewables are simply a drop-in replacement for oil, gas and coal – but it's clear that is not the case. Renewables offer less “net energy” than fossil fuels have historically delivered. We have grown our global economy on the assumption that we'd always have abundant energy. However, with renewables, which are less energy dense and more diffuse, we may have to re-evaluate our vision of growth. In this podcast, we'll look at the “Renewables Gap,” and what it means for the transition away from fossil resources. Author and Activist Bill McKibben talks about what society will look like on this new “Eaarth” being formed by climate changes and limited energy resources. Lionel Badal talks about his adventures as a student uncovering a peak oil conspiracy at the International Energy Agency. Energy expert Vaclav Smil gives some historical context to the current energy transition. Author and speaker Jeff Vail talks about his worries that the “Renewables Gap,” will hinder the transition to cleaner sources of energy. Writer and Financial Analyst Tom Konrad talks about why he's a technological optimist, but a social pessimist. And Jack Oswald, the CEO of Syngest, outlines his scenario of future “Energy Abundance.” Inside Renewable Energy is a weekly audio news program featuring stories and interviews on all the latest developments in the renewable energy industries.