We finally have a tool to at least shave some tenths of a degree off': author Bill McKibben on the promise of renewable energy

"I do this newsletter every week on Substack called The Crucial Years, which, I think because it's free, has turned into the largest newsletter of its kind around climate and energy and the environment. It means that I get to keep track of all the things that are happening on a weekly basis around the world. About 36 months ago, if you were paying attention, you couldn't help but notice this sudden spike beginning. We'd finally hit the steep part of the S curve."

"The planet is now warming fast. The scientists were absolutely right. We face an endless series of disasters that will get worse. This is the main legacy of our moment on Earth so far. But as of the last three or four years, we finally have a tool, not at this point to stop global warming it's too late for that but perhaps to at least shave some tenths of a degree off how hot the planet gets."

"And that tool is cheap energy from the sun and the wind and the batteries to store that power when the sun goes down or the wind drops. Alternative energy is the commonsense, obvious, straightforward way to make power on this planet, which is why 95% of new generating capacity around planet Earth last year came from these clean sources."

Early climate warnings proved correct: the planet is warming rapidly and will experience an expanding series of worsening disasters. In recent years deployment of solar and wind plus battery storage has reached a steep growth phase, enabling cheap, practical alternatives to fossil-fuel power. While it is too late to stop all future global warming, rapid rollout of renewables can shave tenths of a degree off peak warming. Around 95% of new global generating capacity last year came from clean sources. China has played a leading role in scaling these technologies and driving the recent acceleration.

Read at www.theguardian.com