Science based energy choices: New perspective urges balanced path for prosperity, climate, and the environment

A new perspective published in the inaugural issue of the journal Energy and Environment Nexus argues that the global conversation on climate, energy, and development must return to scientific first principles and the realities of human welfare. Drawing on more than four decades of work in thermodynamics, combustion, and energy systems, Professor Dongke Zhang calls for a science based approach to balancing economic growth, social well being, and ecological sustainability.

Rethinking the energy environment link

In his perspective “On Energy and Environment Nexus,” Zhang introduces the idea of an Energy and Environment Nexus as the interconnected web linking energy services, human well being, and environmental health. “Energy is often treated as an abstract villain or a magical solution, but in reality it is a mass commodity like food, water, and air, on which lives depend,” Zhang writes.​

Zhang argues that many people confuse energy with power and overlook the physical constraints of land, materials, and thermodynamics that shape real world energy choices. To clarify what truly matters, he proposes four “imperatives of energy”: power intensity, energy density, cost, and scale, which together determine whether energy systems can be both practical and sustainable.​

A call for affordable, reliable energy for all

A central theme of the article is that lifting billions of people out of poverty requires affordable, reliable, secure, and as clean as possible energy services. Nearly half of the world’s population still lives near or below the poverty line, and Zhang argues that denying them modern energy in the name of environmental protection is neither ethical nor sustainable.​

“Cheap energy is fundamental to improving the living standards of the poor,” Zhang notes, while warning that more accessible energy inevitably increases pressure on land, resources, and ecosystems. The challenge, he says, is to design energy systems that expand opportunity without repeating the “develop first, clean up later” pattern followed by many industrialized countries.​

Climate science versus climate ideology

Zhang also urges a clearer separation between climate science and what he describes as climate change ideology. He emphasizes that Earth’s climate is a complex, ever changing system and that science advances through debate, testing, and the possibility of being proven wrong, not through declarations of “settled” conclusions.​

“Science is a journey of discovery, not an absolute truth,” he writes, arguing that global climate policies should be grounded in mature, testable science and a full accounting of uncertainties and tradeoffs. He contends that over simplifying climate change as a problem with a single control knob, carbon dioxide, risks both scientific integrity and social stability.​

A new platform for robust debate

The creation of Energy and Environment Nexus as a new scholarly journal provided the catalyst for Zhang to formalize ideas he has been developing and teaching for more than twenty years. The journal, launched by Southeast University in China, aims to be a global platform for integrated discussions that span science, engineering, economics, and policy.​

“Energy and Environment Nexus is like a dinner table where scientists, engineers, economists, and policymakers can bring their evidence, test their ideas, and challenge each other respectfully,” Zhang says. He hopes the journal will encourage contributions that grapple with real world constraints while keeping both human dignity and environmental stewardship in view.​

Letting young people hope again

Zhang expresses particular concern about the impact of catastrophic climate narratives on younger generations. He argues that frightening children with visions of imminent doom linked to human emissions of carbon dioxide is neither scientifically justified nor socially responsible.​

“Kids should be allowed to be kids, to learn, create, and build a brighter future, not to live under constant fear of a collapsing world,” he writes. Through the Energy and Environment Nexus concept and journal, Zhang urges societies to replace fear with evidence based discussion, innovation, and practical solutions that enhance resilience in a changing world.​

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Journal reference: Zhang D. 2025. On Energy and Environment Nexus: balancing economic development, social well-being, and ecological sustainability with science. Energy & Environment Nexus 1: e005  

https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/een-0025-0009  

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About Energy & Environment Nexus:
Energy & Environment Nexus is an open-access journal publishing high-quality research on the interplay between energy systems and environmental sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon mitigation, and green technologies.

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