Renewable Energy Reduces Carbon Emissions More Than Nuclear Energy, Says New Study

A new study compared the carbon emissions of nuclear power versus renewable energy and finds that renewables resulted in a more serious reduction of national carbon emissions. Scientists analyzed data from 123 countries from the years of 1999 to 2014. Not only did nuclear power not show a significant reduction in carbon emissions, it even showed increases in carbon emissions in some developing countries.

The evidence clearly points to nuclear being the least effective of the two broad carbon emissions abatement strategies, and coupled with its tendency not to co-exist well with its renewable alternative, this raises serious doubts about the wisdom of prioritising investment in nuclear over renewable energy…”

Benjamin Sovacool, a professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex

Nuclear power has been sold as a solid, more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, and there have been advances in nuclear technology since 2014, the last year that this study was examined. In addition to that, many of the nuclear plants analyzed were older and needed more energy to be maintained. Even with those caveats, it’s clear that nuclear power won’t benefit the environment the way a strategy consisting of renewable energies like wind and solar would.

COVID-19 Causes Fossil Fuel Usage to Drastically Decrease, While Renewable Energy Usage Increases

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, in recent months we have seen a massive reduction in energy usage. We’re seeing the greatest decrease is fossil fuel usage since fossil fuels became widely used in the mid 20th century. Coal demand is expected to fall more than it did after WW2. Energy demand is expected to drop by an unprecedented 6% this year, this is around the equivalent of the entire energy demand of India.

While fossil fuel demand decreases, renewable energy is expected to grow this year. The pandemic has shown how poor the fossil fuel industry functions. The cost of storage and the cost of the supply chain to move fossil fuel is extremely expensive, and without the demand for fossil fuels, the industry is collapsing.

Birol and the IEA are confident that the growth in renewables should signal a shift from fossil fuel companies toward generating clean energy.

Green Energy Surges as Demand for Fossil Fuel Collapses — and It Could Be Here to Stay -The Mind Unleashed

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Some experts have pointed out that if the 2008 recession is anything to go off of we may likely see a large spike in energy usage after the pandemic is over. Others have talked about the importance of using this pandemic as an opportunity to make the transition to renewable energy and not go back to our old ways.

We want to see emissions drop because of a stronger and bigger renewable industry, lower fuel bills and the creation of hundreds of thousands of new green jobs. And that’s what must be at the heart of our recovery from this crisis.

Johnathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party

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President Macron: The Antidote to Trump’s Climate Change Ignorance

“I do know how your president now has decided to jeopardize your budget, your initiatives, as he is extremely skeptical about climate change.”

These are the words that the newly elected president of France, Emmanuel Macron, used to empathize with American entrepreneurs and scientists as he welcomes them to France to continue their work on climate change, renewable energy, and other technologies that could help our planet.

He ends the video by saying, “France is your nation.” It is hard to not to trust the man and his desire to implement solutions to global warming, but before we jump to conclusions let’s develop a better understanding of what Macron is all about.

After a tumultuous election process filled with protests against both candidates, Macron will be taking over as the youngest president in French history, but don’t let the numbers fool you. Although he garnered 66.1% of the vote, the French people may have simply been voting for the lesser of two evils, an election process that sounds a lot like what Americans experienced during the United States presidential election of 2016.

However, unlike President Trump, Macron is attempting to unite the left, right, and center by recruiting people to government based on “their experience, their competence, what they have done and not for what they represent or their political weight.” Even former president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, endorses Macron for his liberal values and how he appeals to people’s hopes rather than their fears.

Based on what Macron said in his video to American scientists and entrepreneurs, it is hard not to agree with Obama’s point of view. Macron is not only providing solutions for France, he is also addressing the concerns of many Americans.

Macron may be the spark of positive change that France, the European Union, and the United States need. However, it is important to remember that words are just words. Until these words become actions, we can only hope that Macron is the antidote to Trump’s climate change ignorance and a saving grace for climate change scientists and entrepreneurs.