His interdisciplinary research interests encompass energy, environmental, food, population, economic, historical and public policy studies.

Smil was born during World War II in Plzeň, at that time in the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (present-day Czech Republic).

[4] Growing up in a remote mountain town in the Plzeň Region, Smil cut wood daily to keep the home heated.

[4] After graduation he refused to join the Communist party, undermining his job prospects, though he found employment at a regional planning office.

[4] He taught introductory environmental science courses among other subjects dealing with energy, atmospheric change, China, population and economic development.

[4] Smil noted in 2018 that coal, oil, and natural gas continue to make up 90% of the primary energy sources used in the world.

[4] Smil emphasizes that replacing the use of fossil carbon in the production of primary iron, cement, ammonia, and plastics is a significant and ongoing challenge in the industrial sector.

[7] Smil stresses the need for energy prices to reflect their true costs, including greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes a decrease in the demand for fossil fuels through energy-saving measures.