In a world where the climate crisis and the survival of nature are hot topics, it is easy to lose hope. But if you follow the trail of research, a promising future emerges. Green technologies are advancing. John Rothgeb is an enthusiastic voice sharing hopeful insights.
Rothgeb highlights the economic side of the transition to renewable energy sources and electric cars. Rothgeb points to the dramatic reduction in costs for renewable energy and electric cars. These now compete economically with traditional alternatives. At the same time, fossil fuels have become more expensive. Undemocratic forces often own the fossil fuels. It creates an economic and geopolitical uncertainty for fossil energy.
Fossil fuels are becoming more expensive. Meanwhile, renewables have seen a 90% cost reduction over three decades through innovation.
New discoveries all over the world are happening. Along with alternative extraction methods, a stable supply of lithium promises a green future for renewable battery technologies.
Ongoing research into batteries, including technologies such as solid form and nanoparticles, ensures improved performance and lower costs.
Red Justice's thoughts
As relaxed as Dr. Ritchie below is not me. But with government deficits, progressive taxes, more public research, more regulations of business invested in and for the green and social needs of society and the people, then we have a chance to make something reasonably positive of our future anyway. But Dr. Ricthie shows with science that even if the environmentalists do not get the politicians on board, there is nevertheless a rapid development towards green technology and green energy.
One of the new great hopes is how well it seems to be possible to produce food products with "precision fermentation" such as butter, milk and soon perhaps all food from a chemical process with microbacteria, sometimes a little hydrogen, carbon dioxide from the air and solar energy. The process is cheap and causes far less emissions as well as taking carbon dioxide from the air.
Young, leading researcher also positive about the chance for a green transition
Dr. Hannah Ritchie challenges the perception that no progress is being made in the fight against climate change. She is a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford and associate editor at Our World in Data. Ritchie shares his optimistic perspective in his forthcoming book "Not the End of the World". Despite the bleak climate change narratives, Ritchie, 30, highlights positive progress in reducing deforestation, improving air quality and the increasing use of clean energy technologies.
The premise of the book is critical of those who tell children that they will die from climate change. For example, activist groups such as Extinction Rebellion do this. Ricthie advocates a more balanced narrative. Data can build a positive on how we can tackle climate change. Ritchie acknowledges the effectiveness of voices like Greta Thunberg and Bill McKibben. But we need different ways to mobilize a wider audience.
Commercially driven energy and technology development goes a long way
The young researcher is concerned about our current trend towards a temperature increase of 2,5 to 3 degrees. Ritchie emphasizes the potential for solutions. She is aware of political and corporate obstacles. But she believes that the economy will drive the changes. She dismisses unnecessary stress on individual measures such as the use of plastic straws. Instead, Ritchie calls for a focus on effective measures such as reduced meat consumption and food waste management.
She navigates the political terrain carefully. Ritchie emphasizes the role of science in presenting facts and potential effects. At the same time, she avoids dictating to politics. She is aware of the risks of politicizing the climate change debate. Ricthie emphasizes the importance of clear communication and the role of science as a cornerstone.
Ritchie addresses human irrationality. Environmental campaigners must tailor messages to individual concerns. Ritchie questions the politicization of climate action and notes that clean energy is being embraced across political lines. Although she doubts that we will be able to keep the 1,5 degree target, she is optimistic about limiting global warming to close to two degrees. For that, we need effective measures for adaptation and resilience.
Technology is improving rapidly and all the time
Renewable technologies, such as solar cells, wind and batteries, are continuously improving in terms of capacity and cost-effectiveness. Infrastructure can be quickly implemented, unlike the long timelines of fossil fuel projects.
Breakthrough offers alternatives to rare earths and calms John Rothgeb's concerns about material availability.
Increasing investments in renewable energy sources and electric vehicles reflect the potential for high profits and low risk, in contrast to the maturing fossil fuel industry.
Versatile renewable energy methods, from solar and wind to geothermal and hydrogen, offer flexible solutions for different needs.
Renewable energy sources can be quickly implemented, operate modularly and independently, which contributes to a faster transition compared to traditional fossil fuel infrastructure.
With close to zero marginal costs for solar and wind "fuel", renewables become very profitable after the initial infrastructure investment.
IIT improves the management of renewable energy sources, facilitates remote monitoring and innovation, leading to further cost reductions.
Beyond financial gains, renewables offer cleaner, healthier energy and have the potential to eliminate millions of deaths and related medical costs linked to fossil fuel pollution.
Favorable economic, technological and environmental factors
In conclusion, Rothgeb's optimism is based on an interweaving of economic, technological and environmental factors, making the global transition to renewable energy sources not only possible but inevitable.
A central component of the green transition is the transition to electrification and renewable energy. Rothgeb emphasizes that this is not just an ideological stance but an economic necessity. He highlights how scientists worldwide are working intensively to replace rare metals in batteries with more accessible and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Successful battery development
Battery technology, a key component for powering electric cars and storing renewable energy, is at the center of this transition. Rothgeb shares how research and innovation have led to significant cost reductions and increased efficiency in the battery sector. He also suggests that future technologies, such as solid-state batteries and batteries based on common materials such as aluminum, sulfur and iron, will further lower costs and reduce reliance on rare metals.
In connection with this, Rothgeb discusses the challenges with the lithium supply and how research is working towards solving this problem. He mentions discoveries of large lithium deposits around the world and points out that in the long term new battery technologies, such as solid state batteries and the use of common materials, will replace or complement today's lithium-based solutions.
Björklöv as a new semiconductor
From the global stage, we now turn our attention to Umeå University's ground-breaking research. Here, researchers have taken a big step towards sustainable technology by creating organic semiconductors from birch leaves. Through a simple pressure cooking process, they have produced nano-sized carbon-based particles with optimal optical properties.
This innovation eliminates the need for rare and environmentally harmful metals. Researchers have used these in the manufacture of organic semiconductors for mobile screens and other optoelectronic applications. Using birch leaves as raw material also opens up the possibility of adapting the process to different locations and availability of raw material, making it a sustainable and versatile method.
The researchers have not only created an alternative to today's commercial quantum dots, but have also shown that their carbon dots, integrated into light-emitting electrochemical cells, can generate brightness comparable to a computer screen. The researchers achieve this without the use of heavy metals or critical raw materials. It represents an important advance for more sustainable technologies.
Finally, Jia Wang, researcher at the Department of Physics, Umeå University points out that this research is not only limited to birch leaves but can be applied to different plant leaves and places, which opens up many possibilities. He sees the carbon dots as not only promising for display technology, but also for bioimaging, sensors and anti-counterfeiting.
This comprehensive look at sustainable technology research gives us not only hope but concrete examples of how research and innovation drive change. It is a step closer to a future where technology not only meets our needs but also protects our planet and its resources.
Red justice's thoughts
As relaxed as Dr. Ritchie I am not. But with government deficits, progressive taxes, more public research, more regulations of business invested in and for the green and social needs of society and the people, then we have a chance to make something reasonably positive of our future anyway.
As cheap as solar and wind electricity is becoming, it's a miracle that anyone still cares about new oil sources.
But it does. The oil companies apparently have enormous power. Power enough to force government subsidies because the oil wells themselves will never pay off.
A bit about production costs for solar and wind electricity can be found at https://ourworldindata.org/cheap-renewables-growth. 40-41 USD/MWh against 56 for oil, and the difference is increasing. Nuclear power costs 155, so one wonders why moderates and populists are so fond of it….
However, it takes too long to manufacture and set everything up. At the same time, we must reduce energy consumption. Unfortunately, fewer people think about that.
The private sector wants oil and nuclear power because it is easier to control the production of fossil and nuclear energy and thus capital can profit more from this.
Why? It would be like saying that the private sector wants railways because it is easier to control and is adamantly against private cars.
Which is not true.
I believe in other reasons. For example. that you have a lot of investments in these two outdated energy sources and do not want them to lose value. But it has happened in the past that once flourishing but later obsolete industries have gone down the drain.
The truly strange thing is that the political (and economic) elite do not sponsor a new industry that promises to be more profitable than the old one. After all, we live under global competition, and then clinging to something outdated can be very expensive, even for the capital.
The comparison fails because it is difficult to build a car completely on your own. While it is easier to set up your own solar panel.
However, the solar panel must be manufactured. Which requires a production chain full of capitalist activity.
I can insert a fridge too, but not craft it. And household appliances were one of the cores of the great economic boom of 1945-73 (see Carlota Pérez: Technological revolutions and financial capital. There is nothing to prevent solar panels from becoming one of the cores of a future one - except of course that the oil companies are on the contrary. Like probably a lot other capital that does not like to see an upstart.
However, the solar panel does not need to be topped up with large company energy in the same way for a long time after it has been installed.
No, this is what makes it so cheap.
For all companies that do not sell oil, this would be a competitive advantage. So they should pursue that option by all means to get ahead of their competitors. Instead, their political representatives are betting on nuclear power, the most expensive way to produce electricity. Something that has to be paid for by someone, not least Swedish companies.
I think the ruling class is stupid. It has become rentierist, given "so thick a padding of money between itself and the outside world that it no longer needs to understand how anything is", as Orwell put it.
I also think we should invest in solar and other green energy. What I was talking about is why Capital does not invest in it. We must force Capital.
I completely agree with that. The question is why they don't care. I don't think there is any disadvantage for them in and of itself with solar&wind, not least because this would give additional margins for exploitation (both emissions and costs are reduced, so there is room for more).
But I think it's about pure conservatism. An important class faction has an established interest and fights to keep it. And the others don't want to get involved, they are too firmly established in purely rentier interests (finance, real estate, patent©right, public contracts, etc.) and have forgotten to think about producing something. Rentierism breeds conservatism as well as stupidity.