There is little doubt that energy related issues are dominating much of the sustainable future discussion today. On one side of that equation a large number of people think that more awareness, education and discussion is the way forward. Alternatively, others consider legislation as a driver toward action and bringing about the changes that would create a sustainable energy future. Which is it?

While it appears that energy related issues have suddenly arrived front and center on the world stage, the truth is that they have been on the stage for a long time. What has changed more quickly is the recognition that to enable a sustainable energy future will require some smooth footwork, clever thinking and prudent planning.

Climate change aside, there are significant and important reasons to be thinking about energy more than ever. Non-renewable resources are decreasing as consumption grows, cost of exploration and production can be prohibitive or uneconomical and transport of energy may be unreliable, impossible or simply not a viable option. Add in the views of climate change and the need to embark upon changes multiplies, grows and becomes more oriented to the near future, rather than the distant future.

But what is the best and most effective method for building capacity towards a sustainable future for energy? I am not sure we have all the answers yet, and, depending upon who one listens to, we are either closer or further from the realisation. Either way, the need to act is a requirement and the need to involve people in the future changes is an important step.

One option would be to initiate government action and simply quantify, qualify and regulate the change. This would have the effect of imposing the solution, create an environment where capacity might not be able to measure up to the legislation and simply disorient the energy market with higher costs at a time when creative solutions appear to be the answer.

The second alternative involves education and this approach would engage people into the energy debate, helping them to understand the issues of production, sustainability and the economic correlation of choices. Some people say a solution likely lies in the middle somewhere, although one could easily argue that we don’t know enough about energy sustainability to create either option effectively and knowledgeably.

It is hard to argue against involving people into the energy debate. They can participate through elements of the energy equation susch as efficiency whereby their choices on products, services and solutions become more or less ‘green.’  It appears, to me at least, that we have not connected the dots for people about the total costs of ownership – of energy – and how those evolve.

Producing solar energy at the north pole is not likely to be as lucrative as producing solar energy near Spain or Florida or Manila, for example. Dams are not often present in deserts and moving oil and gas in pipelines under water can be costly. There is a geographical basis for considering energy supply and demand, and there are locations where certain types of energy are more in abundance than others. All of these factors impact economics. Would you prefer these options legislated or revealed through education? What we don’t know can be costly.

But we need to stop beating around the bush and meet the energy supply and demand question directly. Perhaps looking at the equation as being polar opposite is not the way to go. Instead, we need to begin thinking of these options on a continuum, one that can adapt and workable dependent upon requirements, regional issues and while pursuing national and international strategies.

All too often we use the ruler of climate change as the sole goal for inacting energy change. There are some very positive reasons for pursuing wind, solar, geothermal and other sources of reneable energy – in addition to – oil, coal and gas, for example. Renewable energies are like Google advertising. Everyone can advert and get a little back. Similarly, everyone can produce some energy, feed it into a grid and then get some back too.

We need more people understanding how they can get some back, and that involves educating them to costs of production, consumption, exploration and development.

Once this equation is understand and balanced, then sustainability can flourish and energy exploration, production and consumption can coexist within a framework that supports people, jobs, government, business and employment, but also grows to include more research and further sustainable development.

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Jeff Thurston is editor of V1 Energy magazine and V1 Magazine for Vector1 Media. He is based in Berlin.