Which Way to Go? Observations Based on Discussion on Global Perspectives and Energy Strategies

This short paper is a glimpse of the recent lively discussion on securing future energy demand. The debate, which resorts to technological and economic arguments, uses mutually exclusive concepts, such as "hard" and "soft" technology, in order to differentiate between opposing approaches to the evaluation of technological benefits and risks. This is a summary of some conclusions that emerged from such discussions of D. Meadows, co-author of the Club of Rome study "Limits to Growth," Amory Lovins of "Friends of the Earth," and members of the Energy Systems Program. The paper concludes with a short list of research topics which could help clarify the implications of alternate paths