Only cheaper ‘green’ fuels will force changes in energy use

Fátt hef­ur dregið hræsn­is­lega umræðu auðugri þjóða heims­ins um jarðefna­eldsneyti ger­leg­ar fram í dags­ljósið en orkukrepp­an í kjöl­far inn­rás­ar Rússa í Úkraínu. Banda­rík­in og Evr­ópa grát­biðja ar­abaþjóðirn­ar um að herða á olíu­fram­leiðslu sinni sam­tím­is því sem G7-iðnrík­in hvetja fá­tæk­ari ríki til notk­un­ar end­ur­nýj­an­legra orku­gjafa í því augnamiði að gæta að lofts­lags­mál­um.

2013-11-06 One of the longest-running big picture debates is between optimists and pessimists  arguing the state of the world. Pessimists  have constantly painted a dystopian future from Malthus and Jevons to the 1972 book Limits to Growth. Optimists have cheerfully pointed to how everything is getting better. 

The electric car industry is elated with an incoming Biden administration because it promises to extend and increase electric car subsidies to fix climate change.

Similarly, leaders across the rich world promise lavish carrots along with sticks to outlaw petrol cars. This week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Unfortunately, electric cars will achieve only tiny emissions savings at a very high price.