Do we want to keep fixing the same issue? Unlearned lessons from the first big oil crisis

"Reducing gas demand is the only way to reduce energy prices in the EU, and the only way to ensure we are not geopolitically constrained by our addiction to fossil fuels, said Marin Gillot, an energy analyst at Strategic Perspectives. The lesson was never entirely about dependency on Russia, and now it's not so much about dependency on Qatar or the US."

"In the early 1970s, Denmark burned oil for almost everything—heating, transport, and electricity. Today the birthplace of modern wind power gets 91% of its electricity from renewables. Henrik Stiesdal was one of the early pioneers who kickstarted the wind industry when oil prices jumped."

During the 1970s oil crisis, several European countries implemented long-term energy solutions: France developed nuclear power, Scandinavians improved building insulation, the Netherlands expanded cycling infrastructure, and Denmark pioneered wind turbines. These measures reduced air pollution and geopolitical vulnerability. However, Russia's Ukraine invasion prompted Europe to rapidly increase fossil fuel imports from the US and Middle East, reversing sustainability progress. While some renewable policies reduced dependence, industry lobbying and populist resistance blocked petrol car phase-outs and fossil boiler bans. Energy analysts emphasize that reducing gas demand through sustained green transition is essential to avoid continued geopolitical constraints from fossil fuel dependency, rather than merely diversifying suppliers.

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