Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic

摘要

This book traces the twentieth-century dynamics of the rise in geopolitical and economic strength of Western North Atlantic-based countries (primarily the USA and the nations of Western Europe) as many books have done previously. So what's new? This text isolates and argues that it is the discovery, development and control of various sources of energy that is the central driving force behind the notable transformations of the recent past, thus moving attention away from a predominant focus on the control and management of labour markets and trade. Indeed, the book begins by introducing the premise that '... scholars have yet to fully grasp the political centrality of energy to the modern world system' (p. 1). The text is also relevant to 'energy scholars' broadly conceived who wish to explore further the political dimensions of energy related policies. This book emphasises the immense power and importance that various vested interests play in shaping the choice architecture of our decision making around energy, a focus that implicitly sheds light on the political and institutional barriers that, arguably, would have to be overcome in order to achieve genuinely 'sustainable' development.