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Environment & Energy

VMA131Marine

(4,691 posts)

5. On the bright side ...

Reply to NNadir (Original post)

Sun Dec 8, 2024, 11:11 AM

Dec 8

Carbon-emissions free (nuclear, hydro, wind, solar) energy is now 19% of total global energy consumption compared to 9% ten years ago, and the rate of adoption is accelerating. A doubling every 10 years means carbon free energy will be nearly 40% of consumption by 2034, which will be enough to substantially reduce carbon emissions. If renewables adoption follows a typical S-curve then 70% or more of energy consumption will be carbon free by 2050.

The question then is how much of the growth in atmospheric carbon is coming from emissions from burning fossil fuels versus carbon released from natural storage (e.g. melting permafrost, methane clathrates) due to the warming climate.