Powering the globe.

It is one of the main questions confronting experts in both government and academia: "What drives foreign policy?" Theorists provide many answers--geopolitical concerns, security issues, domestic public opinion, or institutional constraints. But a literalist might answer more simply and no less accurately: energy.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Energy provides the physical fuel for the many undertakings within the global community from transportation to electricity. But it also has pervasive influences in realms to which it has no direct ties. Energy-related issues have been a force behind many domestic action groups. Deemed influential in determining the location of military interventions, energy has spawned conflicts over resource allocation and ownership. On a more basic level, energy is a valuable commodity, conferring power on those who possess it and reducing to dependency those who do not.

Energy has become one of the 21st century's most visibly politicized issues. Local groups have organized around concerns about energy's impact on the environment or on jobs. Now, thanks to modern communications powered by global energy systems, those formally local groups are becoming globally allied. Such concerns have mobilized influential lobbying efforts in many countries, leading to action within the international community to address rising concerns about global energy consumption's environmental implications. Enter the Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in December 1997 and now entering into force after Russian approval.

Politically, energy has become a source of immense international bargaining power. The 1970s oil crisis humbled many countries that were perceived to be dominating influences in the global sphere. Now, as prices continue to rise and show few signs of falling, much attention accrues to resource-rich countries in the hopes that they will acquiesce to demands to stabilize and potentially lower prices.

The energy market itself is a focus for much attention. Energy is a good that has benefits and costs that are arguably not included in its market value. The immense advantages energy resources entail are evident in the infrastructure, technological advancemenets, and alliances that energy-rich countries have been able to enjoy while their energy-poor neighbors fall behind in development, geopolitical power, and economic clout.

But energy also has numerous spillover costs. These costs are usually not unique or solely absorbed by the resource-rich country. Some of the pollution arising from energy consumption and production is localized as it is processed and refined. But other forms of pollution are not confined locally or regionally. These more mobile forms of pollution such as greenhouse gases affect countries in different regions and even different continents. The international community is then confronted by collective action problems and forced to take steps to deal with a problem that affects everyone in the long-term, but not necessarily enough to motivate them to individual action.

This symposium attempts to gauge energy's immense and diverse influences on international affairs. Wilfrid Kohl examines one of energy's most powerful actors, OPEC, and its position in the international energy market. Jim Watson considers efforts to make the market "cleaner" through technology transfers to China. Muhammad Sahimi discusses nuclear energy by focusing on Iran. Jean-Francois Seznec explains the unique relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, largely driven by energy-related concerns. Miguel Tinker Salas investigates the internal political and social impact of energy resources, directing his attention to Venezuela. Finally, Anthony Owen surveys the historical and future impact of energy on the environment.

The breadth of the symposium reflects the breadth of energy's reach in international affairs. If history is any guide, that breadth will only grow with time, and grow at rates ever quicker. It might then be said that though energy does not solely drive foreign policy, those who ignore energy's vital role do so at their own peril.