According to the IEA, by the year 2030 60% of the total energy requirement worldwide will come from China and India. The USA, Europe and the rest of the world will have to make do with the remaining 60%. At present, this situation is reversed and the figures are much more striking: around 80% of the energy produced is consumed by the western world, with the USA accounting for around 50% and Europe for around 30%.

Already 75% of the gas and oil reserves have been nationalised and this figure will reach 100% in the coming years. This trend will also be focused in more politically unstable countries. What does this mean for the western world – both in terms of national security and security of energy supply?

In Switzerland and Europe, the energy debate revolves around future replacement of energy sources. Discussions are looking not only at nuclear energy but also at sources such as coal and oil - that dominate with 85% - and renewable energy forms. At present, only around 5% of Switzerland's total energy requirement can be met with renewable energies and scientists are somewhat sceptical as to whether this contribution can be significantly increased in the future.

The media have entered vigorously into the energy debate, tending to offer the public a wide spectrum of rather one-sided statements ranging from pro conservative to progressive energy strategies. No one is really in a position to form an objective and factually based opinion. How can teachers communicate this dilemma in a lesson? What does it mean for educating young people and guiding how they form opinions?

• Presenting the current situation and the outlook for energy requirements in a political context.
• Explaining global aspects of energy supply, depletion of resources leading to security conflicts that become more inevitable the longer they continue.
• Highlighting different energy sources with their advantages and disadvantages, particularly from the perspective of sustainability and energy density.
• Discussing the possibilities for teaching staff to achieve a balanced view of the energy debate and to educate students to hold differentiated and well informed viewpoints.

• Prof. Andreas Wenger, Director of the Institute for Security Policy and Conflict Analysis of the ETH Zürich
• Prof. Alexander Wokaun, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
• Dr. Marco Berg, Managing Director of the Climate Cent Foundation
• Dr. Peter Wiedmann, Humans, Environment and Technology Research Group, Jülich Research Centre
• Prof. Joël Mesot, Director of PSI
• Ludwig Hasler, physicist, philosopher and journalist