So the major obstacle to the development of new supplies is not

Hear, O children of wisdom, the voice of Daniel Yergin, the chronicler of energy and power, who declared: “So the major obstacle to the development of new supplies is not geology but what happens above ground: international affairs, politics, investment, and technology.” These words reveal a truth that pierceth deeper than stone, for man hath long believed that the earth itself withholds her treasures. Yet Yergin showeth us that the greater struggle lieth not beneath the soil, but in the hearts, ambitions, and rivalries of mankind.

For the earth is abundant. The veins of oil, the seams of coal, the fields of sunlight and wind—these do not vanish. The crust of the world hath riches aplenty, but it is not the rocks that resist us. Nay, it is the hand of man that delayeth, the quarrels of nations that hinder, the fear of risk that preventeth, and the slowness of technology that restraineth progress. The barrier is not nature, but ourselves.

Consider the tale of the Suez Crisis of 1956. The oil lay beneath the deserts as it had for ages, waiting to be drawn forth. Yet when nations clashed over the canal, the flow of that oil was cut off, shaking markets and spreading fear across continents. It was not geology that halted the lifeblood of industry, but politics and international affairs. Thus do we see that mankind’s greatest obstacle is often not the scarcity of the earth, but the divisions of his own making.

So too in our modern age, the advance of renewable energies telleth the same story. The sun shineth freely, the wind bloweth unceasing, the tides rise and fall with ancient rhythm. Yet the harnessing of these forces requireth investment, the courage to build, the foresight to innovate. Too often, fear of loss, short-sighted gain, or quarreling of leaders preventeth the unlocking of what nature freely giveth. Again, it is not the earth that resisteth—it is man who hesitateth.

Mark this well: the lesson of Yergin’s words is that the true battlefield of progress is not beneath our feet but above our heads—in boardrooms, in parliaments, in treaties between nations, in the laboratories where inventors strive. It is here that destiny is decided. The stones beneath the ground wait patiently; it is the human spirit that must conquer impatience, greed, and rivalry.

The teaching is clear: when thou seest a shortage or a crisis, look not first to the earth and say, “There is not enough.” Instead, look to the choices of men and women, to the structures of power, to the use or misuse of technology. For the world is vast and rich, but human will and wisdom determine whether that richness shall serve all or be hoarded by few.

Practical is this counsel: let thy voice demand wise governance. Support leaders and ventures that invest in the future rather than cling to the past. Encourage innovation, for technology is the tool that breaketh barriers of scarcity. And above all, be not deceived into thinking that fate is written in stone; it is written in choices. The rocks lie silent, but men’s actions shout across the ages.

Thus remember: “The major obstacle is not geology but what happens above ground.” The earth hath always been generous, but man must learn to be worthy of her gifts. If we master not our own divisions, greed, and shortsightedness, the abundance beneath our feet shall remain forever beyond our grasp. But if we rise above these obstacles, then the treasures of the earth and the power of the winds shall serve us well, and the generations to come shall call us wise.