The war goes on, and so does the global energy crisis. In fact, I believe that prices of oil futures remain too low given how much spot prices will need to rise to resolve the shortages that will hit once oil supplies that were shipped before the Strait of Hormuz was closed are exhausted.

But a better future is coming, despite Donald Trump’s assault on renewable energy as he tries to drag us back into the fossil fuel past. Regardless of Trump’s chest-thumping, America is not the world. We account for only 15 percent of global energy consumption, compared with China’s 28 percent. And the rest of the world is moving rapidly to renewables, thanks to a technological revolution in solar power, wind power, and, less visibly, batteries.

So let me take an optimism break and talk about why batteries may save the world.

The decline in battery prices has been incredible. It’s like nothing anyone has ever seen before. Big, strong men with tears in their eyes come up to me and say, “Sir, have you seen the progress in batteries?”

Why does this matter?

[ … ]

Furthermore, we’ve seen rapid progress in all components of the green energy transformation, even though their underlying technologies have little in common. Solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are very different, yet all have seen revolutionary improvements. This strongly suggests that the whole renewable energy complex is experiencing a virtuous circle: ever-growing use leads to falling costs and falling costs lead to ever-growing use.

[ … ]

So although we are now in the midst of a severe energy crisis that could easily go on for many months, this too shall pass. A better, cheaper, cleaner energy future is on the way, and not even Trump can stop it.

  • strop@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    3 days ago

    How much energy would be even needed if you removed cars, planes and rampant materialism?

    • lefaucet@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 days ago

      I’ve always felt we need to make conspicuous consumption uncool.

      It was a wretched thing watching SUVs become the cool thing to have, and fast fashion is an ecological travesty. Most folks aren’t into my cool bicycle and thrifted threads tho

      I was excited to see electric cars gaining cool points for a bit, but Elon rubbed his musk all over it and seriously killed the vibe

      • strop@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 days ago

        I don’t think electric cars solve much. They’re still misery machines unworthy of human spirit. It’s fascinating how humanity ever accepted such murderous anxiety generators.

        • lefaucet@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 days ago

          Completely agree, but it was at least a step in the “consume less” direction.

          Once you have kids in the US and you need to make a living outside of a major metropolitan area, you are forced to get a car, or risk not being able to feed and house your family. Electric cars at least reduce the energy consumed by travel to at least 1/3. And that energy can originate from a renewable source.

          So it does drastically help the situation.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 days ago

        Gas is over $7 a US gallon in Canada. Last week I watched a contractor leave his F250 idling for close to an hour while he took measurements. So gas is obviously too cheap.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        I was excited to see electric cars gaining cool points for a bit

        But they were only sold as expensive luxury vehicles full of pointless consumer gadgetry.

        GM took EVs as a license to consume even more, with some models weighing over 10,000lbs.