#EnergyChat with Ramez Naam, author of "The Infinite Resource"

In this edition of Energy Chat for TheEnergyCollective.com, host Jesse Jenkins is joined by Ramez Naam, author of "The Infinite Resource," a new book out from University of New England Press that takes an unflinching look at the central challenges of the 21st century: how to feed and power a world of 9 to 10 billion people living comfortable lives while preserving or restoring our ecological heritage. While many approach these challenges and come away daunted, ultimately counseling humanity to "power down," "live within our limits," or "prepare for collapse," Ramez rejects these all-too-common narratives and counsels faith in humanity's ability to harness the collective power of our ideas. Human ingenuity and innovation, Ramez argues, is the true infinite resource, and the foundation for continued progress on a finite planet. "Knowledge acts as a multiplier of physical resources," Ramez writes, "allowing us to extract more value ... from the same physical resource. That's what has driven human history," he claims, "And the continuation, willful direction, and acceleration of global innovation is our best hope of overcoming peak oil, climate change, and the whole panoply of resource limitations and environmental risks, we face."