139. Fossil Future with Alex Epstein

Alex Epstein joins us again to discuss his excellent new book, Fossil Future, which makes a powerful case for why fossil fuels are essential for human flourishing, and why restricting them is the real crisis facing humanity. Alex explains how overhyped the supposed ‘alternatives’ to fossil fuels are, and how fossil fuels remain completely essential for our modern standards of living, and why their use is constantly growing. Why do fossil fuels represent the only realistic alternative to poverty and early death for everyone on earth? Why do carbonhysterics only focus on the supposed negative impacts of fossil fuels, but never their benefits? Why is it so hard to have an honest debate with carbonhysterics? We also discuss how the use of fossil fuels was instrumental in ending slavery and liberating women, and whether fiat inflation is the driver of the propaganda to vilify fossil fuels. We conclude with a discussion of whether fossil fuels really are from fossils, or if they are naturally occurring in earth.

Resources (All links available on saifedean.com/podcast/139-fossil-future-with-alex-epstein)

• Alex’s book Fossil Future 
• Get a free copy of Alex’s book from fossilfuture.com
• Subscribe to Alex’s Substack “Energy Talking Points”
• A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations by Robert Bryce
• Three billion people use less electricity than the average American fridge.
• Alex's podcast interview with Professor Mukul Sharma on fracking
• 18 spectacularly wrong climate predictions from the 1970s, including several made by Paul Ehrlich.
• Alex’s Congressional Testimony, May 19, 2021
• Alex eviscerates COP26 on GB News
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard
• Alex's previous appearances on The Bitcoin Standard podcast:
  TBS16: Wholesome Hydrocarbons
  TBS90: Climate Hysteria

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses – including his ongoing course ECO22: The Fiat Standard – and read chapters of his forthcoming book, Principles of Economics, by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.