Yes, the book was SO far out ahead it is still almost unbelievable and even thought we had not yet coined the terms “cyberwar” or “cyberterror” what the Lovinses described was exactly that. I still cite this book more than any other in my official entries into security-related dockets and papers.

By the way, you can download it for free at http://www.rmi.org/images/PDFs/EnergySecurity/S82-03_BrPwrParts123.pdf

…..Bill

You have continued to be one of stalwart supporters on this issue and I truly appreciate it. A few of our environmental friends are also beginning to appreciate the arguments being made on the security aspects and more need to begin to see that this furthers their cause. It was economist Kenneth Boulding who first took what is referred to as a “tie-in” strategy on all this. He made the point that even if climate change was not a potential threat, the same remedies for it (energy efficiency and renewables) had value for many other reasons including NOx/SOx reduction but it also certainly goes for energy security as well. I find it does gain traction with my more conservative friends and have even read that the USAF Academy wants to go off-grid and use renewables so there you go.

Best,
Joel

Thanks for raising these issues in NESEA. My sense is that national security and related benefits of domestic renewable energy production, smart grid, distributed generation and other issues on the NESEA agenda are more far powerful potential drivers of an effective broad based political coalition to end our addiction on fossil fuels than the current focus on climate change.

Framing of the energy debate in terms of security issues puts the focus on real solutions. While some may argue that nuclear power is a solution to climate change, the prospects of nuclear proliferation that inevitably accompanies nuclear power generation are completely irrational from a prospective of those concerned with national security and peace.

You continue to lead in NESEA’s most important explorations.

Thanks,

Fred

Indeed, a lot of this is not new but has too long been ignored. Amory and L. Hunter Lovins provided the seminal work in this area with their 1982 book “Brittle Power” which was so far ahead of its time that it is still a must read for anyone even thinking of getting deeper into this topic. The very definition of “decentralization” as explained in that work is still among the most complete and in how it differentiates from just pure redundancy which, if still within a centralized regime, does little for resilience.

Best,
Joel Gordes