The defining inequality in the world today is the vast disparity between the electricity rich and the electricity poor. Some 3 billion people now live in places where per-capita electricity use is less than what’s used by an average American refrigerator. In this talk, Robert Bryce will explain why electricity has transformed humanity like no other form of energy. He will show how rural electrification helped supercharge the American economy, spotlight the fuels that will power the electric grids of the future, and explain why, in the 21st century, power equals power. (A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, Bryce’s sixth book, was published in 2020 by PublicAffairs).

Whether it’s the Green New Deal or the dozens of cities that have pledged to get all of their electricity from renewables, there’s no doubt that solar and wind energy are enormously popular. In this talk, Robert Bryce will provide a clear-eyed look at the vast scale of our energy and power systems and explain why renewables alone cannot possibly meet global energy demand. Further, he will show why, despite concerns about climate change, the fuels we’ve been relying on for decades – oil, coal, and natural gas – are likely to continue dominating global energy markets for years to come. In addition, Bryce will examine the macro trends in the energy sector, including the surge in solar, the booming global trade in coal and LNG, electric vehicles, critical minerals, and the relentless growth in global electricity demand. Further, he will explain why, despite the many challenges we face, we should be optimistic about our energy future.

The world’s insatiable demand for energy is complicating efforts to address climate change. In this talk, Robert Bryce will discuss the technologies and fuels – including nuclear energy – that will be needed to meet the soaring global demand for electricity and motor fuel. Bryce will explain how ongoing innovation in every aspect of the energy and power sectors – from batteries and solar panels to internal combustion engines and fission reactors – will help us reduce the risks of climate change while also improving the lives and living standards of billions of people around the world.

For decades, even centuries, we have been repeatedly warned that we are headed for disaster. Indeed, since the days of Thomas Malthus, we’ve been told that we are using too much of everything and that catastrophe looms. But the prophets of doom continually overlook an obvious fact: More people are now living longer, freer, healthier lives than at any time in human history. In this talk, Robert Bryce will show how ongoing innovation in everything from energy extraction and mobile phones to agriculture and engines is raising living standards all over the world. No one told inventors or entrepreneurs to make things smaller, faster, lighter, denser, and cheaper. Instead, they have been doing that on their own. The result of this continuing innovation: poverty and disease are on the run all over the world. If you need a dose of optimism, one that will inoculate you against the endless doom and pessimism that dominates the daily news, this talk is the one for you.

The divisions in American society are many. But few are as deep and complex as the one that divides urban and rural America. In this talk, author and journalist Robert Bryce will show how the urban-rural divide is affecting agriculture, presidential politics, energy policy, and land use. He will explain how population density correlates with party affiliation and how voting patterns have changed over the past few decades. He will also discuss the historical roots of cooperatives – a history that goes back to the New Deal – and explain why publicly owned and cooperatively owned entities still matter.