| Summary/Abstract |
Geopolitics and geology have always been closely interlinked. Historically speaking, every international order is based on an energy resource. We moved from the Age of Sail to the Age of Coal and Steam—the latter the basis of the Pax Britannica. When the British literally ran out of steam, the Pax Americana emerged on the basis of oil, gas, and nuclear energy. Today the Chinese, hoping to usher in the age of the Pax Sinica, have been investing heavily in alternative energy resources. But just when China and others were writing off America as a declining power, the country finds itself on the cusp of achieving energy self-sufficiency. Will the shale revolution last long enough for Washington to rejuvenate itself and prolong American dominance of the international order? The doom and gloom that preceded the global financial meltdown in 2008 has certainly given way to an energy boom six years later. Soaring North American shale gas and oil, plus oil sands production and growing Asian dependence on the Middle East, are transforming global energy markets. The geopolitical ramifications could turn yesterday’s winners into tomorrow’s losers—and vice versa.
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