Alex Epstein on How Coal and Oil Improve Our Lives
Radio Interview: Wednesday, 12 September 2012
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday, 12 September 2012, I interviewed Alex Epstein on how coal and oil improve our lives.
Does the energy industry – particularly coal and oil – harm humans and destroy the environment? Are they necessary evils? Or are they positive goods?
Alex Epstein is an expert in energy and industrial policy. He is the founder and president of the Center for Industrial Progress. His writings on energy and energy policy have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor's Business Daily, and dozens of other prominent publications. His monthly podcast, "Power Hour," features discussions with leading energy thinkers.
Tags: Activism, Business, Energy, Environmentalism, Ethics, History, Philosophy, Pollution, Progress, Rights
Note: My apologies for the unequal audio volume. I was on the road, and that sometimes doesn't work out as well as I'd like!
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- Duration: 1:03:15
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Subjects Discussed
- The nature of work, energy, and power
- The purpose of the energy industry
- The history of the energy industry and its benefits
- The moral evaluation of the energy industry
- How to think about "the environment"
- Pollution versus rights
- The power of morality in thinking about environmental concerns
- Natural versus unnatural
- The law of pollution, including respecting context
- Why the energy industry doesn't defend itself – and how it should defend itself
- How the US should have dealt with nationalization of oil wells in foreign countries
- About CIP, including the upcoming debate and how to support CIP
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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