Germany will soon generate half of its electricity from renewables, but during the two decades of Energiewende the share of fossil fuels in the country’s primary energy supply has only declined from about 84 percent to 78 percent: Germans like their unrestricted Autobahn speeds and their frequent intercontinental flying, and German industries hum o
... See moreVaclav Smil • How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that global energy consumption in 2050 will increase by 50%, but we absolutely can’t afford to meet this incredible level of energy consumption with our current greenhouse gas-laden methods for energy generation: The consequences to our environment would be dire.
Bessemer Venture Partners • Investing in a world powered by nuclear fission
In fact, transmission and distribution are responsible for more than a third of the final cost of electricity.fn3 And many countries don’t want to rely on other countries
Bill Gates • How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
The global population rose from 1 billion in 1800 to 1.6 billion in 1900 and 6.1 billion in the year 2000, and hence the supply of useful energy rose (all values in gigajoules per capita) from 0.05 in 1800 to 2.7 in 1900 and to about 28 in the year 2000. China’s post-2000 rise on the world stage was the main reason for a further increase in the glo
... See moreVaclav Smil • How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
There is a great conflict between two of the most pressing problems of our time: poverty and climate change. To avoid global warming, the world needs to massively reduce CO2 emissions. But to end poverty, the world needs massive amounts of energy. In developing economies, every kWh of energy consumed is worth roughly $5 of GDP.
Roots of Progress • Why Has Nuclear Power Been a Flop?
Lest we risk being misunderstood, we should be absolutely clear upfront that energy consumption is synonymous with human flourishing, probably more so than any other single economic indicator.
Sacha Meyers • Bitcoin Is Venice: Essays on the Past and Future of Capitalism
percent renewable energy, life expectancy of 78.5 years, and average satisfaction score of 8.5 out of 10. (It also has one of the lowest poverty rates in the developing world, is reforesting its land, and abolished its army in 1949.)
Juliet B. Schor • True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans Are Creating a Time-Rich,Ecologically Light,Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy
Decarbonization of electricity generation can make the fastest progress, because installation costs per unit of solar or wind capacity can now compete with the least expensive fossil-fueled choices, and some countries have already transformed their generation to a considerable degree. Among large economies, Germany is the most notable example: sinc
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