+VIEWS
September 15 2023
emissions reductions falling short of goals, fossil-fuel subsidies continue, enhanced geothermal shows great promise, surge in sea level on the Gulf Coast, California meets renewable-energy goal two years early
A key assessment completed by the U.N. has concluded that countries are falling far short of the emissions reductions needed to slow global warming. The New York Times reports that, despite a slowing in the rate of global emissions increases — which means that many of the worst-case scenarios considered 15 years ago are no longer likely — the world is still on its way to around 2.5°C of warming. Given what we have seen this summer with only 1.2°C of warming, it is clear that further emissions reductions must occur to avoid a calamitous future.
One of the reasons emissions are not slowing enough is revealed in The Guardian, which reports that the G20 countries delivered over $1 trillion in direct subsidies for fossil fuels in 2022. This was over twice the amount provided to renewable energy, and more than double the subsidies in 2019. The increase was due in part to governments interceding in the market to protect consumers from fuel-price spikes due to the war in Ukraine. When you include the “implicit” or “indirect” subsidies, which are costs incurred due to the climate and health impacts of fossil fuels, the International Monetary Fund concludes that annual subsidies totaled $7 trillion. While the “power of the free market” is often cited as a preferred way to change our energy system, a market warped by such subsidies will not provide the price signals to bring about the change required.
The New York Times has a three-part story on the rise of renewable energy. The first article describes how renewables are expanding faster than anyone thought possible. Most Americans don’t realize that 23% of our electricity is expected to come from renewable sources this year, up 10% in ten years. In Britain, roughly one-third of electricity is generated by wind, solar and hydropower. In May, for the first time ever, wind and solar power in the E.U. generated more electricity than fossil fuels. China, which produces more wind and solar power than any nation, is expected to double its capacity by 2025, five years ahead of schedule (unlike the U.S., however, The Guardian reports that China also continues to add coal-fired power)…
August 31 2023
a world on fire, tropical storm arrives in California, Republican 2025 plan to dismantle climate action, young people demanding climate action win in court, coal-plant closing brings quick local health benefits
The city of Lahaina on Maui has been devastated by a wildfire that became an urban inferno, killing more people than any U.S. fire in over a century. There are many threads to this story, including the lack of preparation and public awareness about this previously identified threat. For our purposes, it is important to recognize that climate change contributed to the likelihood of this fire, including months of drought, followed by high winds from a hurricane and a high-pressure system in different parts of the region. This is an example of how climate-change impacts can interact to create severe consequences (a “compound hazard”).
As Eugene Robinson notes in The Washington Post, climate change came for Maui, but it is only one of many places that ignited this summer. The New York Times describes a record fire season underway in Greece, including the ignition of 209 fires in a 24-hour period. In Canada, British Columbia recently declared a state of emergency, as 380 wildfires are burning with several out of control (the entire population of Yellowknife, the provincial capital of the Northwest Territories, was evacuated as a fire advanced on this community of 20,000). Twice as much land in Canada has burned in 2023 than in any previous year, igniting an area equal in size to the state of Alabama. The AP reports that a well-timed rainstorm is helping fire fighters around Kelowna, British Columbia.
Inside Climate News reports on the growing fire risk in the northern hemisphere’s boreal forests, including Canada. These forests represent a vast store of carbon, and global warming is drying them out and making them more prone to very large fires. This leads to the release of more greenhouse-gas emissions as the forests burn, contributing to more warming and an even higher fire risk. The emissions from these fires can be significant globally. In 2021, fires in boreal forests released twice as much carbon as global aviation…
+VIEWS
September 15 2023
emissions reductions falling short of goals, fossil-fuel subsidies continue, enhanced geothermal shows great promise, surge in sea level on the Gulf Coast, California meets renewable-energy goal two years early
A key assessment completed by the U.N. has concluded that countries are falling far short of the emissions reductions needed to slow global warming. The New York Times reports that, despite a slowing in the rate of global emissions increases — which means that many of the worst-case scenarios considered 15 years ago are no longer likely — the world is still on its way to around 2.5°C of warming. Given what we have seen this summer with only 1.2°C of warming, it is clear that further emissions reductions must occur to avoid a calamitous future.
One of the reasons emissions are not slowing enough is revealed in The Guardian, which reports that the G20 countries delivered over $1 trillion in direct subsidies for fossil fuels in 2022. This was over twice the amount provided to renewable energy, and more than double the subsidies in 2019. The increase was due in part to governments interceding in the market to protect consumers from fuel-price spikes due to the war in Ukraine. When you include the “implicit” or “indirect” subsidies, which are costs incurred due to the climate and health impacts of fossil fuels, the International Monetary Fund concludes that annual subsidies totaled $7 trillion. While the “power of the free market” is often cited as a preferred way to change our energy system, a market warped by such subsidies will not provide the price signals to bring about the change required.
The New York Times has a three-part story on the rise of renewable energy. The first article describes how renewables are expanding faster than anyone thought possible. Most Americans don’t realize that 23% of our electricity is expected to come from renewable sources this year, up 10% in ten years. In Britain, roughly one-third of electricity is generated by wind, solar and hydropower. In May, for the first time ever, wind and solar power in the E.U. generated more electricity than fossil fuels. China, which produces more wind and solar power than any nation, is expected to double its capacity by 2025, five years ahead of schedule (unlike the U.S., however, The Guardian reports that China also continues to add coal-fired power)…
August 31 2023
a world on fire, tropical storm arrives in California, Republican 2025 plan to dismantle climate action, young people demanding climate action win in court, coal-plant closing brings quick local health benefits
The city of Lahaina on Maui has been devastated by a wildfire that became an urban inferno, killing more people than any U.S. fire in over a century. There are many threads to this story, including the lack of preparation and public awareness about this previously identified threat. For our purposes, it is important to recognize that climate change contributed to the likelihood of this fire, including months of drought, followed by high winds from a hurricane and a high-pressure system in different parts of the region. This is an example of how climate-change impacts can interact to create severe consequences (a “compound hazard”).
As Eugene Robinson notes in The Washington Post, climate change came for Maui, but it is only one of many places that ignited this summer. The New York Times describes a record fire season underway in Greece, including the ignition of 209 fires in a 24-hour period. In Canada, British Columbia recently declared a state of emergency, as 380 wildfires are burning with several out of control (the entire population of Yellowknife, the provincial capital of the Northwest Territories, was evacuated as a fire advanced on this community of 20,000). Twice as much land in Canada has burned in 2023 than in any previous year, igniting an area equal in size to the state of Alabama. The AP reports that a well-timed rainstorm is helping fire fighters around Kelowna, British Columbia.
Inside Climate News reports on the growing fire risk in the northern hemisphere’s boreal forests, including Canada. These forests represent a vast store of carbon, and global warming is drying them out and making them more prone to very large fires. This leads to the release of more greenhouse-gas emissions as the forests burn, contributing to more warming and an even higher fire risk. The emissions from these fires can be significant globally. In 2021, fires in boreal forests released twice as much carbon as global aviation…
