{"id":344474,"date":"2024-09-25T08:28:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T06:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=344474"},"modified":"2024-09-25T08:28:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T06:28:37","slug":"energy-revolution-not-in-the-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=344474","title":{"rendered":"Energy Revolution Not In The\u00a0Cards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"405\" data-attachment-id=\"344487\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344487\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?fit=1456%2C816&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1456,816\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?fit=723%2C405&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?resize=723%2C405&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?resize=1024%2C574&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?resize=768%2C430&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?resize=1200%2C673&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?w=1456&amp;ssl=1 1456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/2024\/09\/22\/energy-revolution-not-in-the-cards\/\">Science Matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/author\/ronaldrc\/\">Ron Clutz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"723\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SaaLcUjdpVY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kite &amp; Key explains in above video&nbsp;<strong>Why the Odds Are Stacked Against Net Zero.<\/strong>&nbsp; For those preferring to read I provide a text from the captions, though the video is entertaining along with great images, some of which are included with the text in italics with my bolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Are we at the<strong>&nbsp;beginning of the end of fossil fuels?<\/strong>&nbsp;That\u2019s the theory advanced by an international coalition of politicians who aim to get us to net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. Just one problem: Research from the&nbsp;<strong>experts in their own governments suggests it\u2019s a nearly impossible task.<\/strong>&nbsp;Enthusiasts for net zero often say we\u2019re on the cusp of an \u201cenergy revolution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>And that theory has a big problem: Energy revolutions don\u2019t happen \u2014 at least not&nbsp;<strong>in the way that politicians often describe.<\/strong>&nbsp;While it\u2019s true that technological and economic factors sometimes change the energy mix \u2014 countries that get wealthier become less dependent on wood, for example \u2014 the broader trend in the<strong>&nbsp;history of the world\u2019s energy consumption can be defined by three words: more, more, more.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>In a power-hungry world,<strong>&nbsp;we keep adding new energy sources. But there\u2019s rarely any subtraction.<\/strong>&nbsp;And, with global energy demand expected to increase by about 35% by 2050, it\u2019s nearly impossible that we can get all the power we need from carbon-free sources. For instance, meeting the net zero goals would require the construction of over 9,000 nuclear plants by 2050. The number currently being built around the world? 59.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>So,&nbsp;<strong>what will the future of energy&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>really<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;look like?<\/strong>&nbsp;Our video explores.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transcription<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>It doesn\u2019t happen that often. But every&nbsp;<strong>once in a while, a single generation witnesses a technological breakthrough<\/strong>&nbsp;that will change the world forever.<\/em><br><em>The printing press.<\/em><br><em>The beginning of human flight.<\/em><br><em>And, for our generation, an inevitable&nbsp;<strong>full scale revolution in clean energy\u2026<\/strong><\/em><br><em>\u2026that\u2019s running a little behind schedule\u2026<\/em><br><em>\u2026Ok,<strong>&nbsp;way behind schedule.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThe beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era.\u201d That\u2019s how the United Nations referred to the outcome of a&nbsp;<strong>2023 climate change summit held in\u2026the United Arab Emirates.<\/strong>&nbsp;Which is sort of like having the Prohibition Conference in Vegas. Nevertheless, delegates from throughout the world left the gathering having&nbsp;<strong>pledged<\/strong>&nbsp;that the world would<strong>&nbsp;transition away from fossil fuels and get the world to net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Now, the rationale for this is clear enough. Leaders from around the globe are&nbsp;<strong>worried<\/strong>&nbsp;that without a shift over to carbon-free energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear&nbsp;<strong>the world will face significant problems as a result of climate change.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>But, regardless of why they\u2019re doing this, the&nbsp;<strong>more important question is whether they can do it<\/strong>. Because here\u2019s the thing about energy revolutions: they don\u2019t happen. At least not in the way that the UN is imagining. To understand why, it\u2019s<strong>&nbsp;worth looking at the history of the world\u2019s energy consumption<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 which looks like this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"344476\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344476\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?fit=800%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-542.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Go back a couple of centuries and the world basically ran on<strong>\u00a0\u201ctraditional biomass\u201d<\/strong>\u2013 -which is a fancy way of saying \u2026 wood.\u00a0<strong>We burned a lot of wood and also \u2026 dung.<\/strong>\u00a0Then in the mid 19th century,<strong>\u00a0coal came<\/strong>\u00a0into the picture in a big way. By the 20th century, we\u2019re using\u00a0<strong>tons of oil.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>And natural gas<\/strong>\u00a0is a big factor too, especially as we cross into the 21st century, and fracking makes it both abundant and more affordable. As the years went by, we\u00a0<strong>added low-carbon sources<\/strong>\u00a0of energy as well, like\u00a0<strong>nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar\u2013though overall, they\u2019re still a pretty small part of the picture.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"511\" data-attachment-id=\"344477\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344477\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?fit=1754%2C1240&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1754,1240\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?fit=723%2C511&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=723%2C511&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=1024%2C724&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=768%2C543&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=1536%2C1086&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?resize=1200%2C848&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?w=1754&amp;ssl=1 1754w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-543.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Now, there are two important things to note about this chart. First, the history of the world\u2019s energy consumption can be defined in three words: more, more, more. Which kind of makes sense. After all, pretty much\u00a0<strong>everything that defines modern life involves a lot of energy<\/strong>. Between 1950 and 2022, for example, the population of the U.S. a little more than doubled. But in that same time period, our electricity use got 14 times larger.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"510\" data-attachment-id=\"344479\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344479\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?fit=850%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"850,600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?fit=723%2C510&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?resize=723%2C510&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?w=850&amp;ssl=1 850w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-544.png?resize=768%2C542&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>And second, because of that \u201cmore and more, more\u201d trend, the only things we\u2019ve ever had that look like&nbsp;<strong>energy \u201crevolutions\u201d have been about adding new sources into the mix, not getting rid of existing ones<\/strong>&nbsp;as net zero goals propose.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Now, to be clear, that doesn\u2019t mean that nothing ever changes. In wealthier nations, the<strong>&nbsp;rise of cheaper natural gas has led to less coal usage,<\/strong>&nbsp;especially in the U.S. And poorer&nbsp;<strong>countries usually abandoned traditional biomass as they get wealthier,<\/strong>&nbsp;because no advanced nation powers itself by burning wood. We use it for much more sophisticated purposes\u2026like doing psychedelics in the Nevada desert.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>But using a little less coal or wood or relatively&nbsp;<strong>modest changes<\/strong>\u2013and importantly are&nbsp;<strong>driven by cold, hard economic facts<\/strong>. By contrast, what the&nbsp;<strong>net zero goals entail is replacing all of this<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2026 with this \u2026 in just about 25 years.&nbsp;<strong>Based on<\/strong>&nbsp;little more than the fact that&nbsp;<strong>politicians just want it to happen.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"288\" data-attachment-id=\"344481\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344481\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-546.png?fit=624%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"624,288\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-546.png?fit=624%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-546.png?resize=624%2C288&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-546.png?w=624&amp;ssl=1 624w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-546.png?resize=300%2C138&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>To understand just how tall a task this is, it\u2019s worth looking at&nbsp;<strong>what it would require to make it a reality<\/strong>. It\u2019s estimated that meeting net zero goals would require deploying&nbsp;<strong>2000 new wind turbines\u2026<\/strong><\/em><br><em><strong>\u2026every day \u2026 for the next 25 years.<\/strong>&nbsp;To give you some context for that, the U.S. builds about 3000 new wind turbines\u2026<\/em><br><em>\u2026a year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Alternately, you could&nbsp;<strong>open one new nuclear plant every day for the next 25 years<\/strong>. For the record, that\u2019s over 9,000 of them. And, also for the record, as of 2023, the number that were actually being built across the entire world was \u2026 59.&nbsp; And here in the U.S. anyway, it generally takes over a decade to build them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>And those are some of the reasons why&nbsp;<strong>what politicians promise about net zero and what the experts in their own governments say<\/strong><strong>\u2026don\u2019t exactly match up<\/strong>. The government\u2019s U.S. Energy Information Administration, or EIA, projects that by the year 2050, far from seeing a revolution in energy, America will be a little less reliant on coal, a little more so on renewables\u2026and the rest of the picture looks pretty much the same as today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"370\" data-attachment-id=\"344482\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344482\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?fit=1250%2C640&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1250,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?fit=723%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?resize=723%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?resize=1024%2C524&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?resize=300%2C154&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?resize=768%2C393&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?resize=1200%2C614&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-547.png?w=1250&amp;ssl=1 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>And in fact, this is true for the entire world. The EIA ran seven different scenarios for what the world\u2019s energy consumption could look like in 2050, and while all of them showed a significant increase in renewables \u2026 they also all showed a world that continued to get most of its energy from things like coal, oil, and natural gas.<strong>&nbsp;Not exactly \u201cthe beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The reason for all of this:<strong>&nbsp;We simply can\u2019t take enormous quantities of energy offline<\/strong>&nbsp;in a world where it\u2019s predicted that we\u2019re going to&nbsp;<strong>need almost 35% more of it by the year 2050<\/strong>. For one thing, there are a lot of&nbsp;<strong>poor countries around the world who are going to need dramatically more energy<\/strong>&nbsp;to bring themselves up to even a fraction of our standards of living.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"511\" data-attachment-id=\"344484\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344484\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?fit=1500%2C1060&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1060\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?fit=723%2C511&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?resize=723%2C511&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?resize=1024%2C724&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?resize=768%2C543&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?resize=1200%2C848&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-548.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>And for another, the technologies of the future require vast amounts of power<\/strong>. By the year 2030, it\u2019s estimated the computer usage around the world will take up as much as five times more of the world\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>electricity production<\/strong>&nbsp;as it did even in 2020. The digital cloud we all use to store data already uses twice as much electricity as the entire nation of Japan. And with new energy-hungry technologies like AI on the way, things are only gonna move further in that direction.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Which means&nbsp;<strong>the real future of energy is probably: everything.<\/strong>&nbsp;Nuclear, natural gas, wind, and solar, oil, hydropower, coal. We\u2019re going to need all of it. Probably not much wood though.<\/em><br><em>Except for these guys.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"355\" data-attachment-id=\"344485\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=344485\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?fit=1231%2C605&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1231,605\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?fit=723%2C355&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?resize=723%2C355&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-344485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?resize=1024%2C503&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?resize=300%2C147&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?resize=768%2C377&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?resize=1200%2C590&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-549.png?w=1231&amp;ssl=1 1231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are we at the beginning of the end of fossil fuels? That\u2019s the theory advanced by an international coalition of politicians who aim to get us to net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. Just one problem: Research from the experts in their own governments suggests it\u2019s a nearly impossible task. Enthusiasts for net zero often say we\u2019re on the cusp of an \u201cenergy revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":344487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691830705,691828831,691818154],"class_list":["post-344474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-climate-change","tag-energy-revolution","tag-green-energy-revolution","tag-net-zero","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/5f3c4f30cb34dc2ac325aab70c566517.jpeg?fit=1456%2C816&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1rC2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":280966,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=280966","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":0},"title":"The AI Revolution Is Bad News for Net Zero","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/28\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm. New AI applications are announced daily. Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and many companies tout plans for artificial intelligence capabilities. But the AI revolution is bad news for global efforts to achieve net-zero emissions.","rel":"","context":"In \"Artificial Intelligence (AI)\"","block_context":{"text":"Artificial Intelligence (AI)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=artificial-intelligence-ai"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/00Apocalypse-AI-Pixabay-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/00Apocalypse-AI-Pixabay-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/00Apocalypse-AI-Pixabay-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/00Apocalypse-AI-Pixabay-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":447266,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=447266","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":1},"title":"AI Revolution: Leaving Green Energy States Behind","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/29\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The artificial intelligence revolution is leaving green electricity states behind. Network operators are choosing states with policies favorable for gas-fired power to support construction of new data centers. States that block data center construction or try to force firms to use wind and solar electricity will lose the economic benefits\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"AI \u201chyperscalers\"","block_context":{"text":"AI \u201chyperscalers","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ai-hyperscalers"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Copilot_AI-Revolution-Leaving-Green-Energy-States-Behind.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Copilot_AI-Revolution-Leaving-Green-Energy-States-Behind.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Copilot_AI-Revolution-Leaving-Green-Energy-States-Behind.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Copilot_AI-Revolution-Leaving-Green-Energy-States-Behind.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":281373,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=281373","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":2},"title":"The AI revolution is bad news for Net Zero","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/01\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"White woman humanoid on blurred background creating artificial intelligence 3D rendering From \u00a0CFACT By\u00a0Steve Goreham 66186168 - modern web network and internet telecommunication technology, big data storage and cloud computing computer service business concept: 3d render illustration of the server room interior in datacenter in blue light Artificial intelligence (AI)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"AI chips\"","block_context":{"text":"AI chips","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ai-chips"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":242129,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=242129","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":3},"title":"Scotland Up In Arms About Offshore Wind Profits","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/29\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Politicians like Kenny MacAskill seem to think that because wind is free Scotland should reap the rewards. He does not seem to realise that all of these foreign companies he complains about actually invested billions into building their wind farms.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-1254.png?fit=1200%2C825&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-1254.png?fit=1200%2C825&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-1254.png?fit=1200%2C825&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-1254.png?fit=1200%2C825&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-1254.png?fit=1200%2C825&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422557,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422557","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":4},"title":"British Climate Crusade Creates Economic Disaster","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/22\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Across the Atlantic, a self-inflicted disaster is steadily unfolding. One of the United States\u2019 closest allies, the United Kingdom, has surrendered energy riches and industrial prowess.","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201ccarbon tax\u201d\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201ccarbon tax\u201d","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-tax-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPjfdWdWZ6SFBQFlHznDHF2nriE1u3h0Fk3qhDU-lF5PMuEed105H4-MUKgfiW2jAHZMdliDTStjPNm_Gzv8u7CcWtrlmc6PJNLny4GTAJ4E0A8IX4BGoPMaH9KeToDf2yI4WDgtExbFHULUXByeNpDpJzlCQ-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPjfdWdWZ6SFBQFlHznDHF2nriE1u3h0Fk3qhDU-lF5PMuEed105H4-MUKgfiW2jAHZMdliDTStjPNm_Gzv8u7CcWtrlmc6PJNLny4GTAJ4E0A8IX4BGoPMaH9KeToDf2yI4WDgtExbFHULUXByeNpDpJzlCQ-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPjfdWdWZ6SFBQFlHznDHF2nriE1u3h0Fk3qhDU-lF5PMuEed105H4-MUKgfiW2jAHZMdliDTStjPNm_Gzv8u7CcWtrlmc6PJNLny4GTAJ4E0A8IX4BGoPMaH9KeToDf2yI4WDgtExbFHULUXByeNpDpJzlCQ-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPjfdWdWZ6SFBQFlHznDHF2nriE1u3h0Fk3qhDU-lF5PMuEed105H4-MUKgfiW2jAHZMdliDTStjPNm_Gzv8u7CcWtrlmc6PJNLny4GTAJ4E0A8IX4BGoPMaH9KeToDf2yI4WDgtExbFHULUXByeNpDpJzlCQ-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPjfdWdWZ6SFBQFlHznDHF2nriE1u3h0Fk3qhDU-lF5PMuEed105H4-MUKgfiW2jAHZMdliDTStjPNm_Gzv8u7CcWtrlmc6PJNLny4GTAJ4E0A8IX4BGoPMaH9KeToDf2yI4WDgtExbFHULUXByeNpDpJzlCQ-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":246962,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=246962","url_meta":{"origin":344474,"position":5},"title":"Giant UK offshore wind farm \u2018at risk without government support\u2019","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/05\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe government is encouraging investment in renewable generation including through \u00a330 billion to support the green industrial revolution, and just last year our renewable energy auctions contracted record amounts of clean energy.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-214.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-214.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-214.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-214.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-214.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=344474"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344489,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344474\/revisions\/344489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/344487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=344474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=344474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=344474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}