On Saturday, January 25, speakers from the United States and Canada assembled at the annual meeting of the University of Toronto International Relations Society, titled, “Fueling the Future: Deconstructing the Role of Energy in Contemporary International Relations.” David Cosolo and Fern Ramoutar — co-presidents of the conference — chose the topic because participants showed interest in it during roundtable discussions, and because of the topic’s relative lack of representation on campus, considering its constant presence in the media. Cosolo and Ramoutar were happy with the turnout of over 80 attendees. Cosolo commented that the high attendance: “reaffirms the student body’s interest in the topic, and its relevance.”
The keynote speaker, President Graham Campbell of the Energy Council of Canada, kicked off the conference. The growing demand for energy, which Campbell said will increase to roughly 35 per cent by 2035, is coupled with growing economies in places such as China and India. Campbell said that while the shale gas revolution has spurred energy production in some countries, since 2005, shale gas has increased dry gas production more than 27 per cent in the U.S. alone, and new and cleaner technologies are still needed to meet the demand. According to Campbell, just as new technologies are needed to meet growing demand, “public education is essential.” On the other hand, Allison Scott, former member of the National Energy Board, argued that domestic Canadian energy production will satisfy internal demand for generations to come.
During the lunch break, attendees chatted over pizza and fruit. Several agreed that the presentation material was simplified, or as the event’s title read, “deconstructed” for audience benefit. One presenter said, referencing his lack of visual aids, “I forgot that most people here don’t know where Central Asia is.”
The keynote was followed by three panels with ten speakers overall: Richard Carlson, Len Coad, Yadullah Hussain, Meredith Kravitz, Shawn McCarthy, Robert Orttung, Andrew Place, Jon Rozhon, and Allison Scott. These participants all had backgrounds in academia, policy, or journalism relevant to the international energy market. Topics of discussion varied significantly within and between panels, ranging from “cross-border” concerns to hydraulic fracturing. Panelists did not agree on all issues, particularly the use of oil versus gas. Cosolo was pleased that the conference featured “varied viewpoints from multiple backgrounds.”
The panelists discussed the future and current status of energy industries, emphasizing the interrelatedness of energy politics discussed by many of the panelists. Orttung, from George Washington University, explained Russia’s growing and sometimes antagonistic role in world energy affairs. He discussed the Russian pipelines running through Ukraine to Western Europe, currently affected by the ongoing civil conflict.
Campbell said that there is no silver bullet to end global energy problems, but the conference shows that public education is indeed the: “fuel for the future.”
