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Nice breakdown of the actually relevant figures. >> The bad news is that energy-related emissions rose in 2023. But the good news is that continued expansion o
by ethbr1 3y ago
Nice breakdown of the actually relevant figures.
>> The bad news is that energy-related emissions rose in 2023. But the good news is that continued expansion of clean energy technologies meant that global energy-related emissions rose less strongly than in 2022, even as total energy demand growth accelerated.
>> Emissions increased by 410 million tonnes, or 1.1%, in 2023 – compared with a rise of 490 million tonnes the year before – taking them to a record level of 37.4 billion tonnes.
>> An exceptional shortfall in hydropower due to extreme droughts in the US, China, and several other economies resulted in over 40% of the rise in emissions in 2023 as countries turned largely to fossil fuels to plug the gap. Had it not been for the unusually low hydropower output, global emissions from electricity generation would have declined in 2023, making the overall rise in energy-related emissions significantly smaller.
It's impressive that the world (admittedly, driven by advanced economies) is getting a place of increasing our global energy production while decreasing emissions.
- nntwozz 3y agoGreta should mention this, something to balance out the doom and gloom for the kids that have eco-anxiety. I'm serious, not trying to be facetious.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoUntil success is assured, can’t let up in any meaningful fashion. It’ll be used to let up on pulling the trajectory more vertical. Success is not yet assured. The forces at play are unfathomable. We are having to be dragged to a cleaner future, and the momentum must remain, if not accelerate.
- louthy 3y agoIf people think no progress is being made at all, then then they may just give up thinking everything is hopeless — so it’s important to celebrate the successes too
- ethbr1 3y agoAlso, you know, honesty and facts.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- renewiltord 3y agoWe put in all of this work and we’re still doomed? I don’t know, man. I’m going to take it easy. Environmentalists told me I shouldn’t recycle, offset with Terrapass, or live in the city. Now they’re telling me that the things we are doing are not going to work? Then why are we doing them? If we’re doomed I might as well enjoy things.
- AndrewDucker 3y agoThe person you're replying to didn't say we were doomed. They said we have to keep pushing if we want to succeed.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoThis! I appreciate you helping me communicate the idea.
- Timshel 3y ago? 2023 is still a new record year in term of emission. Greta is fighting for a decrease in emission not a decrease of increase. It's an improving trend but not a win.
- huijzer 3y agoI can recommend Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Richie if you want to see many long-term plots about pollution per country. The West is mostly decreasing emissions already where other countries will hopefully also switch to newer technologies and reach a peak in emissions too.
- fshbbdssbbgdd 3y agoI’m optimistic that with better energy tech we have multiple potential routes (solar+storage, fission, fusion, geothermal) to create energy abundance in the future. It can bring about great human flourishing if we don’t burn or blow up the world first.
- ethbr1 3y agoI'd be fascinated by any modern studies on energy output per total energy unit input (manufacturing, construction, operation, and decommissioning, including carbon/pollution externalities). Post-scarity, prima facie, would be a ratio > 1. Curious how close we're getting...
- atmavatar 3y agoUnless I'm misreading, emissions still increased, only slower than they did last year. It's not dissimilar to inflation going down meaning that prices increase slower than they had previously. The difference here is that emission increases are given in absolute amounts vs. a rate.
- Timshel 3y ago? Emissions did not decrease in 2023 it increased 1.1% with a new record of 37.4 billion ... Production became more efficient but only at the level of slowing the increase rate not decreasing ...
- ethbr1 3y agoSee the last part of the quote.