The tendency to reinforce deeply held cognitive biases is a powerful trait in most people, observed UT Prof. David Spence during a recent keynote address at the 5th Annual Martz Spring Symposium at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Spence, who teaches courses in energy law, politics and regulation in UT’s School of Law and McCombs School of Business, notes that personal biases distract us from the inevitable tradeoffs that accompany all sources of energy production. Despite the pervasiveness of political partisanship, Spence retains a cautious optimism for progress on climate and environmental issues – assuming one can set aside preconceived notions and consider the relative merits of reliability, affordability and environmental protection. For more, view his presentation slides.
