Despite some improvement this year, Mr Woodhead says pupils' progress in information technology is unsatisfactory in more than a third of primary schools and more than four in 10 secondary schools.

BBC: School strategies 'paying off'

And third, the most important technology progress in energy has occurred with hydrocarbons, making them more abundant, affordable and greener.

FORBES: Romney Chooses A Tech-Centric Energy Plan To Jumpstart Jobs And Economic Growth

While 3-D printing has existed for about 30 years, the rapid progress in technology in recent years, as well as more affordable price tags, has made the technology more attractive to industries and consumers.

WSJ: Next to Use 3-D Printing: Your Surgeon

Specifically, to the extent that we continue to progress in making non-fossil-fuels technology cheaper and more effective for an ever wider array of applications, we can accelerate the ongoing de-carbonization of our economy.

FORBES: Raising Gas Taxes Wouldn't Cut Consumption, But It Still Makes Sense