Scientists say emissions from burning fuels like coal must ramp steeply down to protect Earth’s climate, yet there was an increase in electricity made from burning fossil fuels. China, India, Vietnam and Mexico were responsible for nearly all of the rise.
The report said some countries burned coal to make up for the loss of hydroelectric power they experienced when drought caused their reservoirs to dry up. This is an example of a vicious cycle — when climate change prompts the use of more of the substances that cause climate change in the first place.
This is irrelevant due to Jevons paradox. That’s why we’re still burning peak fossil fuels, have released 25% of all GHG’s this century, and will release another 25% before
20302040. All renewables to date have only been additional energy sources; they will not reduce fossil fuel consumption until we’ve already solidified 3-4c (especially given how energy intensive robotics and AI will prove to be).The ONLY way humanity stops burning fossil fuels is if the people rise up en mass and FORCE their governments and corporations to keep the fossils in the ground, and everyone accepts that we have to pay more for a lower standard of living. That is about as likely as capitalism collectively choosing to stop wasteful consumption… So just enjoy the ride until the collapse. The entirety of human civilization will only ever commit to shuffling deck chairs on the titantic. The only circumstances powerful enough to change that are a meteor, supervolcano, highly fatal epidemic, nuclear war, etc. Luckily fossil fuelled warming will cull the herd for us within the next 50-100 years.