For some of us, the energy crisis of the 1970s and 1980s may still be fresh
in our memory. The crisis was of political origin, not one of real shortage.
The developed countries responded by focusing on increasing energy effi -
ciency, at home and in industry, and by taking initiatives to make them less
dependent on liquid fossils from the Middle East. More than ever before,
attention shifted to coal as an alternative energy resource—its exploration,
production, transportation, and marketing. Massive research and development
programs were initiated to make available clean and effi cient coal utilization
and more easily handled materials as gaseous and liquid conversion
products. Obviously, large multinational oil companies played an important
role in these initiatives, as they considered energy, not oil, their ultimate
business.
in our memory. The crisis was of political origin, not one of real shortage.
The developed countries responded by focusing on increasing energy effi -
ciency, at home and in industry, and by taking initiatives to make them less
dependent on liquid fossils from the Middle East. More than ever before,
attention shifted to coal as an alternative energy resource—its exploration,
production, transportation, and marketing. Massive research and development
programs were initiated to make available clean and effi cient coal utilization
and more easily handled materials as gaseous and liquid conversion
products. Obviously, large multinational oil companies played an important
role in these initiatives, as they considered energy, not oil, their ultimate
business.
