Energy is the capacity to do work. Throughout our existence, mankind has been able to harness the energy of sources other than our own bodies. However, nowadays, energy awareness has been overshadowed by day-to-day activities, focusing primarily on our mobile phone batteries. While the belief in global awareness of climate change has begun to take root, it still lacks momentum for many. Consumption patterns and investment decisions by the largest economic actors, such as governments and large corporations, have yet to change.
Evidence of this lack of change can be seen in the largest global multinational energy companies, all of which are fossil fuel-related. Their vibrant yet dark business remains a significant source of CO2 emissions that affect the health of living organisms worldwide. Nevertheless, this is not merely a market issue but a technological one. The concept behind green economics, optimizing cost structures for production, fails to address the reality that our energy-dense sources primarily consist of fossil fuels or nuclear ones. Consequently, large energy companies are built upon fossil fuel extraction and processing, highlighting the need for alternative energy systems to emerge.
New energy systems are not entirely novel. Nuclear energy remains one of the world's most efficient and clean technologies. The evolution of nuclear waste reprocessing has effectively made them more efficient and the most energy-dense sources available. Additionally, our initial energy source, the sun, also provides energy sources that support our consumption, albeit requiring further technological advances to maximize efficiency. These two alternatives have been readily available, thoroughly researched, and implemented on a medium scale. Their implementation has been guided by entities such as Rosatom from Russia in the case of nuclear, while Chinese companies dominate large-scale solar cell production. These systems contrast with the West's assertion that they are leading the push for greener systems worldwide. While they might be making efforts, they are not at the scale seen in other regions.
The contradiction between clean energy and democracy provides an interesting area for consideration: Why do nations associated with strong social control drive large-scale solar and nuclear production? Is there a case for rekindling the global consensus towards new nuclear technological development? Perhaps incentivizing fossil fuel giants to shift more effectively towards solar and nuclear alternatives could provide an answer. Moreover, having a vision for certain minimum levels of energy worldwide guaranteed by renewable sources might offer a framework for success.
This framework could potentially generate a unified electrical grid for Africa and Latin America, optimizing resource allocation. Alternatively, establishing distributed nuclear systems worldwide through a unified global energy production corporation could provide a source of energy that helps us successfully reach our CO2 emission goals, ultimately driving our survival. In Mexico's case, PEMEX should follow suit and transform itself into a global powerhouse of new energies with renewed regional leadership towards profitability.