Opinion: Desperate for good news about climate change? Consider the pace of clean energy growth
6 months ago

Opinion: Desperate for good news about climate change? Consider the pace of clean energy growth

LA Times  

Climate change has been viewed almost universally as a burden, a hot potato to be passed from country to country at annual climate change conferences. Although it’s widely known that climate-friendly solar and wind energy have become cheaper and easier to produce, most don’t realize that they are very likely to get even less expensive and grow quickly. Applying these ideas to the energy transition indicates that key technologies such as solar, wind, batteries and green-hydrogen-based fuels are likely to grow rapidly, dominating the energy system within the next two decades. Although the technology is still in its early stages and presents challenges, it has already dropped substantially in cost, and studies of similar technologies suggest these fuels could improve as rapidly as solar energy. Just as Moore’s Law helped chip designers predict and plan for the future, its generalizations provide guideposts that can help us ensure that the energy transition proceeds not just quickly but also smoothly and profitably.

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History of this topic

Green electricity costs a bundle
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Green electricity costs a bundle

Live Mint  

As nations use more and more supposedly cheap solar and wind power, a strange thing happens: Our power bills get more expensive. The International Energy Agency’s latest data on solar and wind power generation costs and consumption across nearly 70 countries shows a clear correlation between more solar and wind and higher average household and industry energy prices. At least …

The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think
4 months, 2 weeks ago

The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think

The Economist  

Your browser does not support this video. Briefing | Carbon bargain The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think Most analysts overestimate energy demand and underestimate technological advances Video: Jiaqi Wang P eople who want to do more to fight climate change and those who want to do less tend to have one thing in common. Donald Trump, …

Climate change and the case for nuclear fusion
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate change and the case for nuclear fusion

LA Times  

I would like to capture your attention to tell you that there is, in fact, a solution to global warming. That is when I read about the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s great success on nuclear fusion. The International Atomic Energy Agency says fusion could generate “nearly four million times more energy than burning oil or coal.” Researchers, working on nuclear …

Households wince at the rising price of going green
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Households wince at the rising price of going green

Live Mint  

When postal manager José Belloso put his Paris apartment up for sale this year he was required to have an inspector grade the home for energy efficiency under strict rules designed to fight climate change. The energy transition is falling “on the shoulders of the low- and mid-income-level people in a disproportionate way," said Fatih Birol, chief of the Paris-based …

Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet
1 year, 6 months ago

Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Calculations by Berlin-based Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change found that the plummeting price …

Boost in solar energy and electric vehicle sales gives hope for climate goals, report says
1 year, 6 months ago

Boost in solar energy and electric vehicle sales gives hope for climate goals, report says

Associated Press  

The window to limit human-caused warming to a globally agreed goal is narrowing but still open because of the huge growth of solar energy and electric vehicles sales worldwide, a report said Tuesday. For the last two years, the rate of the build up of solar energy and electric vehicle sales were in line with achieving emissions reductions targets that …

Renewables helped power sector save $520 bn globally in 2022: Report
1 year, 7 months ago

Renewables helped power sector save $520 bn globally in 2022: Report

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Power sectors worldwide saved an astounding $520 billion in fuel costs last year, thanks to the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources, according to a report released today by the International Renewable Energy Agency. The report, titled "Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2022," underscores how the escalating crisis in fossil fuel prices has significantly bolstered the competitiveness of …

Why it makes economic sense to shift to renewable energy now
2 years, 5 months ago

Why it makes economic sense to shift to renewable energy now

Live Mint  

One of the commonest bogeys raised by those resisting the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, is that doing so will be too expensive. The International Monetary Fund stated earlier this month that steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 would lead to higher inflation and lower growth. In its World Economic Outlook 2022, the IMF …

Decarbonising global energy system will save ‘at least’ $12 trillion by 2050
2 years, 6 months ago

Decarbonising global energy system will save ‘at least’ $12 trillion by 2050

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy ​​The tumbling cost of renewable energy means transitioning away from fossil fuels over the next …

US House poised to pass sweeping climate bill to push American energy to go green
2 years, 7 months ago

US House poised to pass sweeping climate bill to push American energy to go green

Firstpost  

The crux of the long-delayed bill, singularly pushed by Democrats in a closely divided Congress, is to use incentives to spur investors to accelerate the expansion of clean energy such as wind and solar power, speeding the transition away from the oil, coal and gas that largely cause climate change Washington: After decades of inaction in the face of escalating …

Sweeping climate bill pushes American energy to go green
2 years, 7 months ago

Sweeping climate bill pushes American energy to go green

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — After decades of inaction in the face of escalating natural disasters and sustained global warming, Congress hopes to make clean energy so cheap in all aspects of life that it’s nearly irresistible. The climate bill is likely to spur billions in private investment, she said: “That’s what’s going to be so transformative.” The bill promotes vital technologies such …

Big climate bill: Spending green bucks to spur green energy
2 years, 7 months ago

Big climate bill: Spending green bucks to spur green energy

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The climate bill is likely to spur billions in private investment, she said: “That’s …

Cryptocurrency 2022: What impact does Bitcoin have on the environment?
2 years, 9 months ago

Cryptocurrency 2022: What impact does Bitcoin have on the environment?

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The computing power required to support Bitcoin's underlying network now requires nearly as much energy as the entire country …

Explained | How bad is the world’s energy crisis?
3 years, 5 months ago

Explained | How bad is the world’s energy crisis?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The world is facing an energy crunch as the supply of natural gas, coal and other energy sources fails to adequately satisfy demand. Natural gas prices have risen multifold in Europe this year while several factories in China have shut down due to power disruptions linked to the short supply of coal. Other analysts see the …

50% cheaper to generate electricity from renewables compared with fossil fuel-powered plants, analysis finds
3 years, 8 months ago

50% cheaper to generate electricity from renewables compared with fossil fuel-powered plants, analysis finds

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Research by the energy think tank Ember said it is now around 50 per cent cheaper to create electricity …

Instead of panicking, fight climate change with innovation
4 years ago

Instead of panicking, fight climate change with innovation

China Daily  

Across the world, politicians are going out of their way to promise fantastically expensive climate policies. US President Joe Biden has promised to spend $500 billion each year on climate policies－about 13 percent of the entire federal revenue. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that of the 128 analyzed climate policies, all made us poorer. Tellingly, European Commission …

Instead of panicking, fight climate change with innovation
4 years ago

Instead of panicking, fight climate change with innovation

China Daily  

Across the world, politicians are going out of their way to promise fantastically expensive climate policies. US President Joe Biden has promised to spend $500 billion each year on climate policies－about 13 percent of the entire federal revenue. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that of the 128 analyzed climate policies, all made us poorer. Tellingly, European Commission …

Climate crisis: Wind and solar produce record 10% of world’s electricity, but scientists warn faster change is needed
4 years, 7 months ago

Climate crisis: Wind and solar produce record 10% of world’s electricity, but scientists warn faster change is needed

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Over the first half of 2020, wind turbines and solar panels together produced a record 10 per cent of …

Climate change is actually pretty easy to solve — even easier than Joe Biden thinks
4 years, 8 months ago

Climate change is actually pretty easy to solve — even easier than Joe Biden thinks

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And the message behind Democratic presidential …

Climate change: World won’t hit climate goals unless energy innovation is rapidly accelerated
4 years, 8 months ago

Climate change: World won’t hit climate goals unless energy innovation is rapidly accelerated

CNN  

New York CNN Business — Solar and wind power are booming. “The message is very clear: in the absence of much faster clean energy innovation, achieving net-zero goals in 2050 will be all but impossible,” Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said in a statement. Still, the IEA said there are “no single or simple solutions to putting the world …

Ditching coal for clean energy such as wind and solar 'will save money by 2022', report predicts
4 years, 8 months ago

Ditching coal for clean energy such as wind and solar 'will save money by 2022', report predicts

Daily Mail  

Coal power stations are polluting and expensive, and the falling cost of clean energy is pushing the dirty fossil fuel to the brink of extinction, a report has found. Analysis showed installing environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as wind and solar farms, is cheaper than the running costs of 39 per cent of global coal stations. Solar and wind produced 11.45 …

Our Energy Future
4 years, 9 months ago

Our Energy Future

ABC  

Panellist % Matt Canavan 33 Joel Fitzgibbon 20 Zali Steggall 18 Zoe Whitton 21 Sophia Hamblin Wang 9 HAMISH MACDONALD When COVID-19 struck, our leaders followed the science. HAMISH MACDONALD So, are you saying you don’t think Labor can win government in Australia with a more aggressive approach to climate change? HAMISH MACDONALD Before we go to Matt Canavan, Sophia, …

The Lost Decade: How We Awoke To Climate Change Only To Squander Every Chance To Act
5 years, 3 months ago

The Lost Decade: How We Awoke To Climate Change Only To Squander Every Chance To Act

Huff Post  

The scientists and experts trying to communicate the threat of climate change, however, “have been opposed for years,” says Mann, “by the single most-organized, well-funded disinformation campaign in the history of human civilization: The fossil fuel industry’s concerted effort to confuse the public and policymakers about the reality and threat of human-caused climate change.” “In the absence of the billions …

Fighting climate change may be easier than we think (opinion)
6 years, 1 month ago

Fighting climate change may be easier than we think (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Geoffrey Heal, the Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise and a Chazen Senior Scholar at Columbia Business School, is the author of “Endangered Economies – How the Neglect of Nature Threatens Our Prosperity.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s. CNN — With the plethora of dispiriting reports on climate change – we recently …

We Cannot Fight Climate Change With Capitalism, Says Report
6 years, 6 months ago

We Cannot Fight Climate Change With Capitalism, Says Report

Huff Post  

As access to cheap, plentiful energy dries up and the effects of climate change take hold, we are entering a new era of profound challenge ― and free market capitalism cannot dig us out. Fred Greaves/Reuters Faced with these interconnected crises, says the report, our economies are woefully underprepared: “It can be safely said that no widely applicable economic models …

To Slow Climate Change, The U.S. Needs To Address Nuclear Power’s Dismal Economics
7 years ago

To Slow Climate Change, The U.S. Needs To Address Nuclear Power’s Dismal Economics

Huff Post  

By Tim Profeta, Duke University / The Conversation In late December 2017, the Georgia Public Service Commission faced a major decision: whether to cancel construction of two nuclear power reactors at Plant Vogtle, near Waynesboro, which had been plagued by delays and escalating costs. If nuclear power is to be part of a U.S. climate change strategy over the next …

Mapping The Potential Economic Effects Of Climate Change
7 years, 9 months ago

Mapping The Potential Economic Effects Of Climate Change

NPR  

Mapping The Potential Economic Effects Of Climate Change Enlarge this image toggle caption Hsiang, Kopp, Jina, Rising, et al./Science Hsiang, Kopp, Jina, Rising, et al./Science Climate scientists agree that this century is getting much warmer and that such warming will likely bring economic pain to the U.S., but economists aren't sure how much. "I think the takeaway message that is …

Solar and wind power cheaper than fossil fuels for the first time
8 years, 2 months ago

Solar and wind power cheaper than fossil fuels for the first time

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Solar and wind is now either the same price or cheaper than new fossil fuel capacity in more than …

Global warming set to cost the world economy £1.5 trillion by 2030 as it becomes too hot to work
8 years, 8 months ago

Global warming set to cost the world economy £1.5 trillion by 2030 as it becomes too hot to work

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “For individual countries, even within a short timespan, the losses due to the increasing heat can be in the …

Soaring population, climate change stress resources
12 years, 2 months ago

Soaring population, climate change stress resources

China Daily  

Get Flash Player Download Population growth threatens to strain Earth’s water and food resources. We’ve had a 50 percent increase in carbon dioxide and we’re now heading towards a world in which average temperatures will be four degrees Celsius above what they were historically.” Currently 1.3 billion people lack electricity, even as a burgeoning middle class - expected to grow …

Soaring population, climate change stress resources
12 years, 2 months ago

Soaring population, climate change stress resources

China Daily  

Get Flash Player Download Population growth threatens to strain Earth’s water and food resources. We’ve had a 50 percent increase in carbon dioxide and we’re now heading towards a world in which average temperatures will be four degrees Celsius above what they were historically.” Currently 1.3 billion people lack electricity, even as a burgeoning middle class - expected to grow …

Four myths that hold back progress in fighting climate change
14 years, 3 months ago

Four myths that hold back progress in fighting climate change

The Hindu  

The U.N. Secretary-General has presented options for raising $100 billion a year to promote development while fighting climate change. “You can't grow with energy efficiency,” say fans of flashy new powerplants, “and you can't provide energy access to the poor.” Untrue, because people don't really care about energy, but rather about the light, heat, and transport that it animates. Promoting …

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