Between neo-Fossilism and a „green economy“

Development trends of the global energy regime.

Abstract

Capitalism and the fossilist energy regime have been considered so closely interrelated that a crisis of the latter would inevitably raise a major threat for the former, resulting amongst others in growing geopolitical tensions. In critical (Marxist) debates such a crisis has been conceptualized as “peak oil” or “the end of cheap nature” ( Jason Moore). However, the recent boom of unconventional fossil energies particularly in the USA has put such diagnoses in question. The article analyses recent development trends of the global energy regime. Its main argument is that the crucial problem is not so much the peak of scarce fossil resources. Neither is there simply a rising tension between the capitalist core and its geopolitical competitors for reasons of energy supply. Rather, there are multiple energetic conflicts some of which criss-cross the line between the sphere of U.S. hegemony on the one hand and its competitors like China and Russia on the other. The major energetic threat arises from the socially and environmentally destructive power of the (neo-)fossilist patterns of production and consumption. This threat won’t be overcome by a “greening” of capitalism. Instead, overcoming it requires a fundamental transformation of the mode of producing and consuming energy.