Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
There are already plenty of economic and political actors defending the hyper-technological renewables. The time has come to shift our discourses toward technics that will enable us to change the energy matrix while also achieving an ecosocial transition.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has raised its global forecast for renewables growth in what it calls its “largest ever upward revision” for the sector.
Overall, our research suggests that with appropriate policy and regulatory controls, we can continue to pursue the crucial climate intervention of transitioning our ailing energy systems while also protecting areas that are rich in biodiversity.
The ‘post growth’ agenda envisions a future where economies do not grow infinitely. Degrowth is one of many routes to get there — by reducing the use of finite natural resources and addressing the social inequity that is inherent to the quest for endless economic growth.
It’s worth considering that today’s children could still be around in 2100 and beyond when the global temperature increase could be 3 degrees C and higher.
I think it’s fair to say that the recent Energy Outlook from the International Energy Agency represents a significant moment in the discourse around renewable energy.
Beyond just grid ownership, publicly owned systems for generating electricity could also restore and expand the capacity for democratic control of a sector that provides a vital public benefit.
The only real long-range solution to climate change centers on reining in human physical, social, and economic power dramatically, but in ways that preserve human dignity, autonomy, and solidarity.
Ideas are effective when people see themselves in them and want to fight for them, rather than something that is purely intellectual. We need to think in terms of the questions and ideas that can galvanise the militant and collective action that this moment requires.
Renewable Energy: Ten Short Lessons is a valuable primer on the physics of renewable energy, but isn’t a lot of help in establishing whether or not the existing world economy can be successfully transitioned to zero-carbon energy.
In the best case, we will go through a transitional period in which we shrink our population and energy/materials usage while minimizing casualties and preserving the best of what we humans have achieved in these last few decades of anomalous energy abundance.
Our returning guest in this episode, energy modeler Christopher Clack, says according to his recent modeling, that investing more into local solar will deliver more public benefits than investing in utility-scale projects.
