Sharing the moral case with the energy finance community This Thursday I’ll be doing some events with the energy finance firm Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. (TPH) They are known for bringing in CEOs for an extended chat with their staff. I’m excited to be their latest guest. We’re tentatively planning to record my interview with firm CEO Maynard Holt. I …

In this issue: A favor (and a bribe) New YouTube speech As I mentioned last week, I had a great event speaking to gas station owners and suppliers recently at the SIGMA executive leadership conference. At one of the dinner events someone kindly asked me, “What can we do to help you have greater impact?” One of my top answers …

Coming to a gas station near you Last Thursday and Friday I spoke to the Executive Leadership Conference of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA). SIGMA represents companies that work close to the consumer end of the oil supply chain—including companies that sell fuel to gas stations and companies that actually run gas stations. These companies are in an …

Happy New Year! I’m glad to be writing my first 2018 newsletter after a fun holiday/vacation season. I’ll have some big announcements in the coming weeks but this week I want to share what happened in late December when I spoke to 2000 college-age students at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit. I spoke for about 35 minutes and …

Yesterday I got a call from a US Congressman I met with during my last trip to DC. The subject was how to make the moral case for fossil fuels more influential in Congress. My favorite part of the call was when he put the moral case into his own words. He went right to the fundamental, explaining the wrong …

This morning I gave two speeches on energy to an unusual audience: junior high students. Here’s my outline: Machine labor: Mass flourishing requires a machine-labor civilization, not a manual labor civilization. Affordable machine calories: A machine labor civilization only operates tothe extent that the machines can consume calories. Efficient production process: Affordable machine calories require an efficient production process—which is …

Occasionally I get approached by some very bright students who don’t have the budget for my speaking fee but can draw a great crowd–in person and online. So for the Spring semester of 2018 I’ve decided to do three free campusspeeches for whomever can put together the best events. One of these is already spoken for–I’ll be speaking at UCLA on February 13. But …

I just got back to California last night after a packed week in our nation’s capital. Happily, it was by far the most impactful week I’ve ever spent in DC. The most exciting development during the trip is something I can’t talk about yet, unfortunately–and its outcome is uncertain–but there is a real chance I will help shape a new project that …

As often happens, I am writing this week’s newsletter from an airplane. An airplane is a good place to reflect on Thanksgiving because it is a magical form of abundance that is all too easy to take for granted. Everything on this plane would be magical to someone 200 years ago…the sanitation system, the refrigerated drinks, the electric light bulbs—heck, the clean water—let alone this 13-inch iPad with …