With the lights remaining shut off in the nation’s capital, the rest of the world moves on without us, demonstrating that the good ol’ U.S. of A is not necessarily quite as vital or important as we here in America think we are — least of all, it would seem, in the field of renewable, green energy, where new developments continue to take place at a dizzying pace on a daily basis.
That’s because right under our fossil fuel-filled noses, a technological revolution is taking place that is slowly driving fossil fuels, especially coal, to extinction. Good news, considering that the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says conclusively that mankind is warming the planet. So what exactly is going on out there while we are stuck in a political morass of our own making?
First, in Australia, which along with Africa has probably suffered the most to date from man-made climate change, rising awareness that a warming planet is not good for the land Down Under has led to a new green awareness that is pushing the widespread rollout of renewable energy all across that island continent. Presently, Australia gets some 13 percent of its total electricity from renewable sources, and one million Australian homes benefit from rooftop solar installations.
Moreover, like in Germany – where great strides have also been made in adopting non-carbon forms for energy – solar and wind have gotten profitable and efficient so quickly that renewables could replace all of Australia’s power-generation needs by 2030. Furthermore, it could be done at the same or possibly lower cost as Australia would spend on fossil fuels in the same period due to the plummeting price of renewables vis-à-vis fossil fuels. Indeed, low-cost green energy has already forced the closure of at least one major coal-fired plant in Australia, with more closures on the horizon.
Australia and Germany aren’t alone. India, for instance, is building the largest solar farm in the world in its sun-drenched Rajasthan desert. Elsewhere in India, solar projects are taking off and analysts believe the South Asian nation will add 2.8 gigawatts of solar powered electricity by next year. This is part of a larger push for solar and renewables in India known as the National Solar Mission, which aims to have 9 gigawatts of solar installed in the country by 2016. This will add to the 18.3 gigawatts of wind power already in operation, which is itself expected to grow another 15 gigawatts over the next five years.
Then, of course, there is China. The Asian giant is of course a well-known source of carbon pollution, but herculean efforts are being made there to wean the country off of its dependency on fossil fuels, and good progress is being made. Indeed, officials there report that for the first time, wind power has become a bigger source of electricity than nuclear power – a trend that should continue as the Chinese government pushes along the long-term development of green energy and technology.
A global phenomenon
It doesn’t end there. Around the rest of the world, peoples and governments are waking up to the fact that carbon energy is killing the planet and that renewables – sun, wind, geothermal and biofuel – make greater long-term sense than do coal, oil and natural gas. In Japan, for instance, the country’s space agency is making plans to send aloft solar-power satellites that will collect energy and then beam it down via microwave or lasers to reception stations here on Earth.
In Kazakhstan, meanwhile, the oil-rich government has announced plans to spend one percent of its GDP, or $3.2 billion, on renewable investment through 2050. This would cut coal demand in that country by nearly half by 2030.
In Latin America, Chile is planning on building a solar power plant to rival India’s planned new solar comple, while in Argentina, the continent’s largest solar-panel manufacturing facility will be built by a German company. Brazil, not be outdone, is opening up more of its power sector to solar energy companies. Even Africa is hopping on the renewables bandwagon, with a giant geothermal plant to be built in Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley by an Icelandic company now in the works.
A light at the end of the tunnel?
The renewable energy revolution, slow in coming but long heralded, is thus picking up steam wherever you care to look. Just in time, too, as the IPCC points out. While there is still a long way to go in the quest to displace fossil fuels as the world’s primary source of energy, a light can clearly be seen at the end of the tunnel – illuminating the path forward. Technological developments, like a breakthrough by German researchers that has doubled the effectiveness of a solar panel, will continue to be made and prices, as a result, will be pushed down even further.
Demand for renewables, in turn, will continue to increase. Indeed, worldwide analysts predict that solar alone will increase this year by 33 to 38 gigawatts – or enough to power over 30 million American homes. That’s a huge number, and demonstrates what can be done – at relatively low cost and in a short amount of time – to lessen our dependency on planet-wrecking, conflict-causing fossil fuels. Combine this with continued progress in fusion power and energy efficiency, which has seen much progress of late, and humanity just might be able to have its technological cake and eat it at an ecologically sustainable level, too.
Good news, then, but only if it continues. To sustain this revolution and make it even stronger, we need to put increased pressure on government and businesses here in the United States to work together on pushing renewables as far and as fast as possible. We need to put in place the policies and research programs needed to hasten the great progress already being made both here at home and around the rest of the world. If voters in other democracies and even presidents-for-life in Central Asia can get it, why can’t we?
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Mint Press News’ editorial policy.