Links tagged “energy”

Professor Kelly has said: “For the world to reverse two centuries of industrial development in a few decades would require the efforts of herds of unicorns.”

According to Kelly, one of the few serious thinkers to have considered the practical implications of taking an economy ‘Net Zero’, decarbonisation is neither desirable nor possible – at least not outside a 400-year time frame.

Even reaching the old target of an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions would be miraculous; this is a level of emissions not seen since 1880. I assert that a herd of unicorns will be needed to deliver this target, let alone full decarbonisation. I also point out the utter nonsense of Extinction Rebellion’s demands to complete the task by 2025.

We have not had an ‘energy transition’: fossil fuels have continued to grow steadily at a rate about 7–8 times that of renewable technologies over the last 20 years.

Deregulatory accomplishments spotlighted by the president included:

—Withdrawing the United States from the “fraudulent, ineffective and one-sided Paris climate accord.”

—Ending the Obama war on energy, especially policies designed to kill coal miner jobs including the Clean Power Plan, stream (over)-protection rule.

—Opening up federally owned lands and offshore areas to energy exploration and production, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Republicans have been trying to open up since at least President Reagan’s administration.

—Greenlighting vital pipeline projects such as the Keystone XL and Dakota Access.