Episode 58 - Renewable Problems

With the deadline for keeping global warming below 1.5C quickly approaching (at least according to the extremely optimistic IPCC calculations - and we know how we feel about those), the time for renewable energy is yesterday. The transition to these clean sources of energy should be a no brainer, right? Well, as always, the story is more complicated than it would first appear and our addiction to cheap and highly energetic fossil fuels isn't going away anytime soon. Can we break our addiction and create real change?
full transcript available
Chapters

00:29 Energy Investment in Southern Mexico
10:12 Why is Ashes Ashes hating on renewable technology?
16:11 Individual vs Social Change
20:56 Energy Density
29:35 Hidden Externalities
34:57 Grid storage
39:37 Struggling to Maintain Renewables
46:51 Close Out
Sources

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@misc{Smil_2016, title={To Get Wind Power You Need Oil}, url={https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/to-get-wind-power-you-need-oil}, journal={IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News}, author={Smil, Vaclav}, year={2016}, month={Feb} }
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@misc{Wilkes_Warren_Parkin_2018, title={Germany and Its Failed Climate Goals}, url={https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-germany-emissions/}, journal={Bloomberg}, author={Wilkes, William and Warren, Hayley and Parkin, Brian}, year={2018}, month={Aug} }
Published
Episode 58 - Renewable Problems

Chapters

Recommended Reading

Energy Slaves by Stuart McMillen

Peak Oil by Stuart McMillen

Power to the People? How World Bank financed wind farms fail communities in Mexico

Energy decisions reframed as justice and ethical concerns

Sources
