The International Energy Agency (IEA) sees a green future in their new annual report. An Oct. 24 article in the Washington Post quoted the IEA predicting that solar panels will generate more power worldwide by 2030 than the entire US power grid does now. The IEA also guesses that electric car sales will go up by 10 times.
But then another Washington Post article from the day before, details Chevron’s acquisition of Hess Oil for $53 billion. That deal speaks volumes of how Big Oil is doubling down on fossil fuels, even in the face of our continuing climate chaos.
Electric car sales probably will rise dramatically — assuming that charging stations proliferate as scheduled. Carmakers are investing heavily in electric vehicles (EVs) and many drivers love them, at least partly to reduce their carbon footprints. Still, a 10-fold rise from the 26 million EVs now in use won’t be nearly enough to offset the 1.4 billion internal combustion engines expected to still be in use for decades to come.
Alex Witt, of the advocacy group Climate Power, said, “Today’s news proves what we already knew – Chevron executives only care about the short-term, putting potential profits over the lives of families and the future of our planet.”
For those who love to brag that the USA is #1, they’re right. America leads the world in oil production and is on track to set a new record this year. The only stat more shameful is our world-leading rate of mass murders.
But the USA isn’t alone, because hypocrisy is rampant around the world. For instance, the United Nations global climate summit, known as COP28 (Conference of the Parties), is set to go in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as of this writing.
I just have one question about that: ARE YOU FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME?
That’s like putting the Taliban in charge of human rights. The UAE has gotten ridiculously rich by selling the stuff that is causing our crisis. It defies credulity that the UAE’s leadership has the slightest interest in preventing further climate catastrophes.
One prediction of the IEA’s report will probably come true: That renewables’ share of global electricity will rise to 50% from the current 30% by 2030. That is a good thing. Yet a sad but true projection is that the share of fossil fuels in the global energy supply will only fall to 73% from the 80% today. Ain’t much better.
Kelly Trout of the climate advocacy group Oil Change International, said the projections underscore the need for an ambitious outcome at the climate summit.
“The IEA warns of a massive overbuild of unnecessary infrastructure to export gas, particularly by the United States, that will cause a glut of supply that’s incompatible with a livable planet,” Trout said. “The success of COP28 negotiations will be judged by whether governments commit to a fast, fair and fully funded end of the fossil fuel era.”
Frank Lingo, based in Lawrence, Kansas, is a former columnist for the Kansas City Star and author of the novel “Earth Vote.” Email: lingofrank@gmail.com. See his website: Greenbeat.world
From The Progressive Populist, December 1, 2023
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