[MCN] We can't let renewables be a "green red herring"

[Lance Olsen]

Sample fact cited: Indians last year consumed twice as much energy from newly installed air conditioners as they produced from new solar farms. More accurate metering of energy consumption could encourage companies and households to rein in power demand.

Closing paragraph: It would be better, as the Paris agreement urges, for countries to focus on reductions in emissions rather than to set goals for renewable energy. Global emissions have stabilised in the past three years, which is encouraging. But to stand a chance of mitigating global warming, they must start falling sharply and keep doing so for decades. The world will move in that direction with the help of wind and solar. It will not get there without big advances on every other front as well.

https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21725001-goal-after-all-curb-global-warming-not-favour-particular-technologies-better <https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21725001-goal-after-all-curb-global-warming-not-favour-particular-technologies-better>
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“Our results suggest that, globally, a third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves and over 80 per cent of current coal reserves 

should remain unused from 2010 to 2050 in order to meet the target of 2C.”

Christophe McGlade & Paul Ekins. The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2C. 

Nature. January 8 2015

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"… the race between climate dynamics and  climate policy will be a close one ….” and 
“ … requires an industrial revolution for sustainability starting now."

Hans Joachim Schellenhuber.“Global warming: Stop worrying, start panicking?”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. September 23, 2008

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“ Getting from here to there would require a massive economic shift.” 

Rachel Pannett and Jeffrey Ball. “Australia Approves Energy Bill.”  

The Wall Street Journal  p.A7, August 21, 2009


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