Why is the price of oil still hovering around $100 per barrel, if global demand has fallen and the supply of alternative energy sources, including shale and renewables, are increasing? Could it be that commodity traders are reacting to a new series of less visible market forces?

We know that whenever Iran talks up its nuclear energy aspirations, or Israel fires missiles into Syria, oil prices tend to rise—or as of late, not drop by much. There is also the U.S. Congress’ lack of a comprehensive long-term energy policy that has kept a tight rein on infrastructure investments such as charging stations for electric vehicles. However, as I discovered recently, there is yet another force at play, one that is far more complex than society is prepared to confront and which will surely cause the price of oil and similar fossil fuels to double, if not triple, in price in the coming decades. This invisible force is referred to as “sustainability.”

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