Coal

If melting Glaciers shut down the Atlantic Gulf Stream, Extreme Climate Change Catastrophes will Follow

By René van Westen, Utrecht University; Henk A. Dijkstra, Utrecht University; and Michael Kliphuis, Utrecht University | – Superstorms, abrupt climate shifts and New York City frozen in ice. That’s how the blockbuster Hollywood movie “The Day After Tomorrow” depicted an abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation and the catastrophic consequences. While Hollywood’s vision […]

Coal

Our Move to Renewables is only the Latest of Many Energy Transitions; We can do it Again

The Conversation

By Liz Conor, La Trobe University | – In 2022, the burning of fossil fuels provided 82% of the world’s energy. In 2000, it was 87%. Even as renewables have undergone tremendous growth, they’ve been offset by increased demand for energy. That’s why the United Nations earlier this month released a global stocktake – an […]

Climate Crisis

Big Oil and Big Coal countries Block meaningful G20 Climate Pledge, in wake of World’s Hottest Summer on Record

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Shivam Patel at Reuters reports that the G20 summit in New Delhi made no specific, agreed-upon statement on climate and energy goals. The 20 richest countries in the world agreed to triple renewable energy by 2030 and to cut way back on coal, but did not set out specifics. They […]

Climate Crisis

Solar soars by 13%, Fossil Fuel use Plummets 17% in Europe in first 1/2 of 2023

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – At the energy think tank Ember, Matt Ewen and Sarah Brown have issued a new report showing that the use of fossil fuels in the European Union fell a remarkable 17% in the first two quarters of 2023, year over year. Indeed, hydrocarbons accounted for only a third of energy […]

Climate Crisis

WMO: July to be Hottest month on Record, as World enters era of Global Boiling, Global Burning

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The World Meteorological Association said this weekend as July comes to a close that it will have been the hottest month in recorded history. Its first three weeks were certainly the hottest on record. It likely will have been the hottest month in 120,000 years. Modern homo sapiens as a […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Crisis: Though Turkey’s Forests are at Risk from Wildfires, the Country is still Wedded to Dirty Coal

Arzu Geybullayeva

In Turkey, when forests are not on fire, they are being destroyed by greedy men in suits Protests to save Akbelen forest continue despite the violence Written byArzu Geybullayeva ( Globalvoices.org) – Since 2019, the local residents of İkizköy village in Turkey’s southwestern province of Muğla have been trying to prevent deforestation in […]

Climate Crisis

Renewable Energy poised to overtake Coal, Providing 1/3 of Global Electricity: IEA

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The International Energy Agency’s report on electricity markets is out and it has some good news. Depending on how cold the winters are, the IEA expects renewable sources of energy to outstrip coal in 2024, and forever thereafter. It calls this change “structural.” That is, it isn’t a blip or […]

China

India, 3rd biggest CO2 Emitter, will Pause new Coal Plants for 5 Years in favor of Batteries, New Solar

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sibi Arasu at the Associated Press reports that the Indian government is going to pause new coal plants for 5 years in favor of concentrating on new battery power. This step is a huge about-face for India, and it matters. Some 73% of Indian energy still comes from coal, and […]

Climate Crisis

The Market Won’t Save Us: How to Rapidly Reduce Deadly Fossil Fuel Use

John Feffer

( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – The burning of fossil fuels—oil, coal, natural gas—is responsible for nearly 90 percent of global carbon emissions. Despite almost-universal recognition of the need to reduce the use of those fossil fuels, the industrialized world is having the hardest time breaking its addiction. The economic rebound from the COVID-19 […]