1979 - Dr. Guido Brunner - Energy for an Independent Europe

In this lecture Dr. Guido Brunner spoke about the problem of securing energy sources for Europe. He reviewed the reaction to the original OPEC crisis in 1973/74 that created unemployment and monetary instability in Europe. He forecasted that the waste society is coming to an end with a move away from an oil-based regime. He looked at how the European Community attempted to use market solutions to ease out of the crisis, but noted that the market is unlikely to respond properly to the future shortages immediately, so political decisions, both domestic and foreign, will have to be made. For instance, he called for the stabilisation of the Middle East and an expansion of energy-based instruments in European treaties. He also called for programs to help less developed countries for whom the costs of the oil crisis are much higher.