Trinidad and Tobago has flourished under the nurturing arm of oil and gas production for the last century. But it must outgrow its dependence on these natural resources due to changes in the global economy. New technologies allow oil to be extracted from shale, ‘tight' sands and coal formations. Consumers and environmentalist lobby policy makers, with progressively greater success, to find and use more environmentally friendly sources of energy. With the demand for Trinidad and Tobago's oil and gas potentially on the decline, aggressive strategies are needed to safeguard this country's economic future. Many have repeatedly called on Trinidad and Tobago to move away from its reliance on a commodity-based economy and invest in developing a knowledge-based economy (KBE). Others contend, however, that it is not one or the other, but a mixture of both that is required.