You are listening to Curiosity Curated. I am Zong.

In our previous episodes, we journeyed through the dramatic geopolitical shifts powered by energy. We saw how the American shale revolution transformed the U.S. from an importer to a dominant producer, and how Russia has used its energy wealth to reassert global influence. We explored the Middle East, where ancient conflicts are intertwined with the world's most critical oil reserves.

Now, we will wrap up this series by turning to the next great challenge all nations face: the current energy transition. The world is in a race against time to address climate change, but the path forward is anything but simple. It’s a story of ambition versus reality, of technological breakthroughs, and of starkly different priorities between nations.

This episode is about understanding the hard truths of the energy transition. Again, we’ll be guided by the insights of Daniel Yergin's book The New Map and his co-authored Foreign Affairs article on energy realism.

00:35 Episode Intro

02:07 The Dual Challenge: Climate Emergency and Energy Poverty

05:14 The Hard Truths of the Energy Transition

09:25 Climate Policy and Money

16:32 Renewables: Wins and Limits

19:17 The Technology Gaps: Energy Storage/Battery, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Carbon Capture

25:15 Geopolitics

28:13 The Path Forward

Sources:

The New Map by Daniel Yergin

The Troubled Energy Transition: How to Find a Pragmatic Path Forward, Daniel Yergin et al, www.foreignaffairs.com

Music:

“Hold On” by Alabama Shakes

“Who Am I” by Dario Lupo

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