Energy Regimes

Continuity in Energy Regimes

A Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies and Technical University of Munich, Institute for Advanced Study Colloquium

The goal of the conference was to examine why older, more traditional sources of energy survive and in some cases even revive and thrive despite the presence of newer and more ‘modern’ sources of power. Papers explored reasons for the survival of traditional energy sources and reasons for partial or slow transitions to more powerful or notionally more efficient providers. Discussion of ways of measuring transitions, and reasons for delays, both short and long term, in adopting new carriers were at the centre of the meeting. Economic reasons for retaining earlier practice often seem the obvious explanation for slow change but alternative or additional ways to account for apparent tardiness based in technology, psychology, social context and environmental considerations were addressed throughout the course of the meeting. The retention of earlier practices may but not necessarily improve sustainability, another issue discussed in the papers and in the closing round table.

Scholars active in the study of political, environmental and economic history as well as engineers and social ecologists discussed different energy carriers in separate sessions. The range both geographic and chronological were broad. Discussion of practices before the twentieth century and especially before the Industrial Revolution were an integral part of the debate about energy forms, their usefulness and the complex problems evident in the past as well as the present of moving from one energy regime to another.

This event was open to the public.

"Continuity in Energy Regimes" was funded by the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies Colloquium Abroad program at the University of British Columbia, and co-sponsored with and hosted by international partner institute, the Technical University of Munich, Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS), and the Deutsches Museum and was held at TUM-IAS, Germany, Thursday through Saturday, October 27-29, 2011.