In order to reduce the use of fossil fuels, we need to increase the use of renewable sources of energy. At least, so the theory goes. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change challenges this assumption, demonstrating that, rather than displacing fossil fuels, alternative sources of energy barely outpaced increasing demand over the last 50 years.
The paper was written by Richard York, a professor at the University of Oregon. In it, he looks at past energy use and electricity generation from fossil fuels and alternative sources for about 130 countries. Here, “alternative sources” means nuclear, hydro, and non-hydro renewables like wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, biomass, and biofuels.
via ars technica
Photograph by Jürgen/Wikimedia Commons
