Example Image
Civitas Outlook
Topic
Politics
Published on
Jan 13, 2026
Contributors
Joel Kotkin

The end of green energy

Contributors
Joel Kotkin
Joel Kotkin
Senior Research Fellow
Joel Kotkin
Summary
Summary
Listen to this article

Not long ago, all right-thinking liberals were sure that fossil fuels would soon become “stranded assets” as The Guardian once put it. Hydrocarbon-based energy sources, the thinking ran, would become ever more worthless as the world entered a bright renewable future. Yet as President Trump’s takeover of Venezuela demonstrates, there is, in fact, a lot of life left in those deposits; as the progressive American Prospect recently lamented, the “fossil-fuel empire” has struck back.

The takeover in Venezuela brings under US control the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Under Trump, Washington saw Venezuelan energy bolstering hostile countries, especially oil-import-dependent China. For now, the Venezuela coup deprives the Middle Kingdom of upwards of 800,000 daily barrels, while taking away a valuable customer as well as an intelligence asset for the Russians and their Islamist allies.

Read the full article at UnHerd.

10:13
1x
10:13
More articles

What Happened to the Anglosphere? The Tale of Two Enlightenments

Politics
Feb 11, 2026

Blocking AI’s Information Explosion Hurts Everyone

Economic Dynamism
Feb 11, 2026
View all

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Politics

Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts

Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 13, 2024
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Trump Victory Driven by Voters Who Reject Status Quo

The poll asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in America.

Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 11, 2024

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

View all
** items
There's a Perception Gap With the U.S. Economy

As we approach another election cycle, it’s worth asking: what’s real, what’s political theater, and what does it all mean if Democrats regain control of the House?

Charity-Joy Acchiardo & G. Dirk Mateer
Politics
Feb 2, 2026
International Law Is Holding Democracies Back

The United States should use this moment to argue for a different approach to the rules of war.

Politics
Jan 25, 2026
Trump purged America’s Leftist toxins. Now hubris will be his downfall

From ending DEI madness and net zero to securing the border, he’ll leave the US stronger. But his excesses are inciting a Left-wing backlash

Politics
Jan 24, 2026
California’s wealth tax tests the limits of progressive politics

Until the country finds a way to convince the average American that extreme wealth does not come at their expense, both the oligarchs and the heavily Democratic professional classes risk experiencing serious tax raids unseen for decades.

Politics
Jan 20, 2026

John Yoo urges Supreme Court to ‘let democracy work’ in trans athlete case

Politics
Jan 13, 2026
1:05

Kotkin: Non-Aligned Nations Navigating a Multipolar World

Politics
Aug 19, 2025
1:05

Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump Takes On the Conservative Judiciary

Politics
Jun 2, 2025
1:05

Trump’s Drug Pricing Plan: Consequences for Innovation and Patient Access

Politics
May 13, 2025
1:05

John Yoo: The DOJ Is Being ‘Tricky’ but They May Be Right

Politics
Mar 18, 2025
1:05
No items found.
No items found.
What Happened to the Anglosphere? The Tale of Two Enlightenments

Our politics and culture are caught in an epic struggle between the heirs of the Scottish and French Enlightenments.

Politics
Feb 11, 2026
Canada Doesn't Need to Win

Trump has offered Canada subordination. What would be more beneficial for both parties is coordination.

David Hebert
Politics
Feb 9, 2026
Storm Over the Appointment Process

This is not your grandfather’s appointment process; in fact, it’s not even your older brother’s.

Thomas Jipping
Politics
Feb 5, 2026
The Clash of Civilizations at 30

Three decades on, Huntington did not foresee the extent to which the West would erode, but he did perceive the warning signs.

Graham McAleer
Politics
Feb 3, 2026
No items found.