{"id":353278,"date":"2024-12-05T10:21:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T09:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=353278"},"modified":"2024-12-05T10:21:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T09:21:38","slug":"novembers-energy-earthquake-a-world-reshaped-by-politics-power-and-pragmatism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=353278","title":{"rendered":"November\u2019s Energy Earthquake: A World Reshaped by Politics, Power, and Pragmatism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Vijay Jayaraj<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the global energy landscape pivots in the shadow of November 2024\u2019s seismic political developments, the world finds itself navigating a complex web of geopolitics, market maneuvers and environmental debates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent weeks, we have seen the return to world leadership chief climate skeptic Donald Trump and the conspicuous absences of key leaders at \u201cgreen\u201d energy\u2019s COP29 annual summit. These punctuate emerging narratives from Africa, Asia and Latin America that signal an unmistakable ascendance of energy security and national sovereignty as priorities not to be denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The supposed unified, Western-led march toward decarbonization has given way to a more complex reality of increasing fossil fuel consumption driven by economic and societal pressures for wealth creation in developing countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Future of World\u2019s Largest Oil Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Trump\u2019s election victory has once again emboldened many countries to reassess their current climate policies. His plans include expanding offshore drilling, reviving coal mining and dismantling unnecessary and expensive federal support for intermittent energy sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His appointment of Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy (DOE) underscores his administration\u2019s pivot to hydrocarbons as central to U.S. energy security. In fact, this is the first time a person from the energy sector has been appointed as DOE head, which makes even more obvious the direction of U.S. policy beginning in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COP29: A Gathering in Isolation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, the United Nation\u2019s annual climate circus COP29 became virally popular for who was missing or leaving early. Leaders from China, India, and Russia \u2013 some of the world\u2019s largest energy consumers \u2013 opted to prioritize other platforms, such as the BRICS-led Kazan Declaration that emphasized energy security over reductions in fossil fuel use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some Western nations continue to cling religiously to a hydrocarbon hostility based on pseudoscience, the developing world\u2019s climate apostasy has grown louder. Countries like India lambast the hypocrisy of wealthier nations that demand \u201cdecarbonization\u201d without offering viable alternatives to coal, oil and natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Azerbaijan\u2019s president, Ilham Aliyev, declared fossil fuels \u201ca gift from God\u201d even as he hosted in his capital COP29, where solar and wind energy are to be revered. This declaration, coupled with Azerbaijan\u2019s plans to expand natural gas production, highlighted the irony of a petrostate hosting a climate summit aimed at phasing out fossil fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argentinian President Javier Milei withdrew his 80-person delegation from COP29 less than a third of the way into the 11-day extravaganza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, the event appeared headed to dismal failure, leaving one to wonder whether the final nail in in the climate industrial coffin would be duly fixed at this year\u2019s event. On the flip side, a dozen energy-guzzling countries at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, agreed on ensuring the reliable supply of fossil fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fossil Fuels in Asia, Africa and South America<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, China and India are devouring coal and not stopping anytime soon. Yet, the quantity of fossil fuels being produced and consumed in other developing countries is seldom noticed by the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan for example has gone all out in ensuring new markets for natural gas imports and boasts the world\u2019s largest storage facilities for incoming gas. Indonesia, too, is planning to increase coal uptake and production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ongoing explorations in Suriname and Guyana are now joined by more oil and gas discoveries in Ecuador. Proclaiming an unstoppable momentum for South America\u2019s oil and gas sector are the shale boom in Argentina\u2019s R\u00edo Negro province, the abundant oil production in Colombia\u2019s Llanos basin and Petrobras\u2019 expected third-quarter net profit of more than $5 billion in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa is emerging as a focal point for new oil and gas development. The frank admission by South Africa\u2019s energy minister at the African Energy Week about the necessity of fossil fuels for energy security reflects a broader African narrative. New oil and gas fields across the continent \u2013 from the Orange Basin in Namibia to the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields in Uganda \u2013 suggest a prioritization of economic development over climate concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While European countries double down on climate targets, much of the developing world is prioritizing economic growth through fossil fuels. These shifts reveal a fracturing of what has always been a shaky global alignment on climate action and highlight the enduring role of hydrocarbons in powering the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the dust settles, the contours of a new energy order are beginning to emerge \u2013 one defined by pragmatism, regional alliances and a blunt acknowledgment of the doomsday cult\u2019s decrepit state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commentary was first published at Town Hall<\/a> on November 30, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vijay Jayaraj<\/a> is a Science and Research Associate at the <\/em>CO2<\/sub> Coalition<\/em><\/a>, Arlington, Virginia. He <\/em>holds an M.S. in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia and a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, both in the U.K., and a bachelor\u2019s in engineering from Anna University, India.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the global energy landscape pivots in the shadow of November 2024\u2019s seismic political developments, the world finds itself navigating a complex web of geopolitics, market maneuvers and environmental debates.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, we have seen the return to world leadership chief climate skeptic Donald Trump and the conspicuous absences of key leaders at \u201cgreen\u201d energy\u2019s COP29 annual summit. These punctuate emerging narratives from Africa, Asia and Latin America that signal an unmistakable ascendance of energy security and national sovereignty as priorities not to be denied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":353280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","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_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":[691831835,691818362,691831568,691820954,691831834,691818228,691819094],"class_list":{"0":"post-353278","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-argentinian-president-javier-milei","9":"tag-climate-policies","10":"tag-cop29-climate-talks-in-baku","11":"tag-department-of-energy-doe","12":"tag-donald-trumps-election-victory","13":"tag-fossil-fuels","14":"tag-renewable-green-energy","16":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0wp2890809.jpg?fit=2527%2C1660&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1tU2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":352217,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=352217","url_meta":{"origin":353278,"position":0},"title":"COP29: The Globalist Climate Grift Collides with Trump\u2019s America First Renaissance","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"25\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As COP29 wrapped up in Baku, it left behind a trail of broken promises, hollow platitudes, and a $300 billion-per-year climate finance pledge that\u2019s already being treated like Monopoly money. 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