The Energy Enigma
Despite the many 10s of trillions spent on renewable energies over the course of the last eight or nine years and the need for more money for further expansion and the urgent requirement to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels, the needle relative to the percentage of energy sources has barely moved.
At the conclusion of last year, fossil fuels used for energy was at 82%. That actually rose slightly from 2015 when the value was 81.49%. Biomass, the burning of plants, wood, paper and lumber mills waste, and municipal garbage went from 4.7% in 2015 to 5.3% at the end of 2023. I point that out since biomass emissions of carbon dioxide are greater than those discharged by any fossil fuel – even coal. Yet, while technically a renewable energy, is it not a disingenuous alternative? Here are the statistics albeit in different formats:
2015
2023
Chinese Energy sources, in 2019 show that 86% of their energy is derived from fossil fuels, and you can be assured that this will not change:
Concerning sources of energy, India is about the same, although, a greater percentage of their electrical requirements comes from hydro.
So, despite all the truckloads of wind turbines and solar panels one sees, and the acceleration of the political hype, what has changed?
The United States is to cut emissions in half by 2030, in comparison to 2005 levels. This would mean a reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 50% in the next 6 years. Is there even the slightest chance of this? No of course not. Yet, a Wall Street Journal article (paywalled) states that Jigar Shah the director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy, is hurriedly endeavoring to distribute $400 billion USD of taxpayer money prior to the November election. The article also claims that should the current administration lose the election, the loan program would become obsolete.
Nevertheless, in the interim the politicians will be crying for far even more money, the climate protestors will be blocking traffic, and the environmentalist lovers will sit around a fake campfire singing, “Kum ba yah".