Dominic Boyer is an anthropologist, content producer and environmental researcher who teaches at Rice University, where he served as founding director of Rice’s Center for Environmental Studies. Some of his recent books are Energopolitics: Wind and Power in the Anthropocene and Hyposubjects: On Becoming Human.

The book we’re talking about here, though, No More Fossils, is a short, stunning analysis of the function of fossils during this era of human-propelled environmental destruction and development. And No More Fossils is easily one of the best books I’ve read on the history of energy. Dominic says his goal was to make a book that was teachable, and I would say that, given its length, it’s also super portable and modal in its usefulness. 

In this conversation, Boyer says a few times that the goal is to bring about a decisive move away from the indulgent, excessive use of energy that is currently so normalized. And I totally agree, the overwhelming accelerationist use of energy is catapulting us into an incredibly turbulent future on this planet. But how do we bring that about? Dominic’s book offers some extremely moving promises of a point after the petrostate and words of encouragement for people that are organizing to end fossil capitalism. One of the things that most resonated with me  is the idea that, one day, everyone will grasp the obviousness of the need to phase out fossil fuels. It will be self-evident that it was necessary. Even if, right now, the fossil gerontocracy, as Boyer calls it, is doing everything it can to preserve a failed way of life based on bottomless plastics and gasoline.

Can we fight the future and preserve joy? Can we propel the energy transition while forging a future that addresses the colonial crimes of the past? If we are now living in epic times, can we collectively rise to the planetary challenges that we face?