As I stood on the rooftop of a sleek, modern office building, gazing out at the sea of solar panels stretching out before me, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. This was progress, I thought to myself. Renewable energy was finally starting to make a dent in our reliance on fossil fuels. But the more I dug into the numbers, the more I began to wonder: are we really making as much progress as we think?
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It’s a grim reality, but renewable energy still only accounts for a tiny fraction of the world’s total energy mix. In fact, despite the hype, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that renewables still only generate about 26% of the world’s electricity – and that number is actually down from 2019. The rest of the pie is still dominated by coal, natural gas, and oil.
Now, before I get roasted by the climate warriors, let me clarify: I’m not saying renewable energy isn’t worth it. Of course it is. Solar and wind power are cheap, efficient, and getting better by the day. But the truth is, we’re still stuck in a world where fossil fuels are deeply ingrained in our infrastructure, our economies, and our psyches.
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Take transportation, for example. Electric cars are all the rage, and for good reason – they’re a huge improvement over their gas-guzzling ancestors. But the reality is, most of the world’s cars are still powered by fossil fuels. Even in Norway, which has one of the highest electric vehicle adoption rates in the world, gas-guzzlers still make up over 90% of the country’s fleet.
And then there’s the issue of energy storage. We’ve made huge strides in battery tech, but the truth is, we still can’t store energy for long enough periods of time to make a meaningful dent in our reliance on fossil fuels. That’s why, even in the age of renewables, most solar and wind farms are still tied to the grid, relying on fossil fuels to fill in the gaps when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.
So what’s the holdup? Why aren’t we making faster progress on the renewable energy front? The answer, I’d argue, lies in politics. Governments around the world are still beholden to the fossil fuel industry, which has a stranglehold on our economies and our politics. It’s a complex web of influence and lobbying that makes it hard to get real, meaningful change.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are still plenty of innovators and entrepreneurs out there pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with renewable energy. From innovative new technologies to community-led projects, there are countless examples of people and organizations working together to create a more sustainable future.
So what’s the takeaway? Renewable energy isn’t a silver bullet, and it’s not going to save the planet overnight. But it is a crucial step in the right direction. We need to keep pushing, keep innovating, and keep demanding more from our governments and our industries. Only then will we start to see the kind of real, meaningful progress we need to tackle the climate crisis head-on.
