China continues to laugh at the stupid “green energy” of the West – Will you be disappointed by that?
With the energy cost crisis now hitting Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US, some cracks have begun to appear in the “net zero” utopia being embraced by most politicians. Western pursuit. At the moment, however, the rapid phasing out of fossil fuels, supposedly to combat “climate change”, remains official government policy across Europe, at the national level. federally in the US, in most green American states and also in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, although President Biden ordered some temporary measures such as releasing some oil from the nation’s strategic reserves, the full federal bureaucracy was still under orders from higher up. to force reductions in fossil fuel production and use in every way they can think of. . Meanwhile, states like New York and California are fast approaching legal deadlines to close all fossil fuel-powered power plants, ban all non-electric cars, ban natural gas for heating and cooking, and otherwise quickly overlook the energy progress made in the last century. Our life is affordable and enjoyable.
We must believe that official fossil fuel containment policies will prevent “climate change” and “save the planet” through a mechanism for rapidly reducing CO2 emissions and “greenhouse gasses.” ” other. Saving the planet’s climate will cost us worthwhile sacrifices in the form of higher energy prices, tax increases to support subsidies for renewable energy, and lifestyle restrictions.
But in reality, that narrative is all too much. In the West, over 20 years and trillions of dollars in subsidies for “green energy” programs have achieved only some modest reduction in the share of final energy consumption derived from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, fossil fuel use continues to soar. Leading the way is China, which has used the distraction of Covid over the past two years to hit a new record in emissions. In the big picture, the West’s obsession with reducing emissions, despite the huge costs, has not had any noticeable impact.
Two recently published reports paint a real-world picture of growing fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions (although there has been a small downward blip caused by Covid). in 2020). In March, the United Nations International Energy Agency (IEA) issued Global Energy Assessment: CO2 emissions in 2021. In addition, the Global Warming Policy Fund has released Summary Report No. 58 titled “China’s Energy Dream” written by Patricia Adams. (Full disclosure: I am the President of Friends of America of the GWPF.). Both reports highlight the utter absurdity of the green energy stupidity unfolding in the West.
Get started with the IEA. While it must be heartbreaking for them as good activists of the United Nations, the IEA provides us with first-hand information about the continued increase in world CO2 emissions, despite the strenuous efforts of Western nations to reverse the trend:
Global CO2 emissions from energy combustion and industry have increased again in 2021, reaching an annual high. A 6% increase over 2020 pushed emissions to 36.3 gigatonnes (Gt). . . . Emissions increased by nearly 2.1 Gt from 2020. This puts 2021 higher than 2010 as the largest annual increase in energy-related CO2 emissions year-on-year in absolute terms. A larger 2021 recovery reversed the pandemic-induced decline in emissions of 1.9 Gt in 2020. CO2 emissions in 2021 have increased to about 180 megatons (Mt) above pre-pandemic levels. translation 2019.
Here is the IEA chart of world emissions since 1900:
To summarize the chart, the Western obsession with “green energy” and “renewable energy” since about 2000 has decreased by 50% increase annual CO2 emissions in the world, from 24.3 Gt in 2000 to 36.3 Gt in 2021.
So what is driving the recent rapid increase in world CO2 emissions? According to the IEA, mainly China:
The recovery of global CO2 emissions above pre-pandemic levels has been largely driven by China. . . . China’s CO2 emissions have increased by 750 million tons in the two-year period from 2019 to 2021. China is the only major economy with economic growth in both 2020 and 2021. Emissions increase in China More than offset the aggregate decline in the rest of the world of 570 million tonnes from 2019 to 2021… . With rapid GDP growth and additional electrification of energy services, electricity demand in China will grow by 10% in 2021, faster than economic growth at 8.4%. The demand increase of nearly 700 TWh is the largest increase ever in China. With the increase in demand outstripping the increase in low-emission supply, coal has been called upon to fill 56% of the increased electricity demand.
Ms. Adams’ report to the GWPF outlines the acceleration of China’s development of fossil fuel sources, particularly coal-fired power plants:
Beijing will not give up coal, its safest form of energy. By 2020, it will account for 57% of China’s total energy consumption. Last year, 38.4 gigawatts of their new coal-fired power plants, more than three times the new capacity built in the rest of the world. Another 247 gigawatts are in the planning or development, with more to follow. Last year, Chinese provinces granted construction permits for 47 gigawatts of coal power projects, more than three times the capacity allowed in 2019.
Observing China’s continued growth in fossil fuel infrastructure, Ms. Adams commented that China has no intention of weakening itself by adopting CO2 emission reduction targets:
Pursuing CO2 reductions in China will not serve the goal of maintaining Communist rule or becoming the world’s leading superpower by 2049. For the Chinese leadership, that is out of the question. argue. Reducing carbon dioxide makes sense only for those it wants to harm and displace.
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