While there have been proponents for both sides of the debate on global warming, the last decade has seen significant consensus on the need to combat climate change. One of the steps largely agreed on has been the adoption of uptake of renewable energies like solar and wind electricity to replace non renewable ones like coal and gas.
Significant steps like the increase of electric vehicles on the road, surge in cycling as a form of transport in some countries and the use of electric trains had most people thinking that the part was finally seeing significant progress. Countries even went ahead to set ambitious sustainable energy goals and timelines in which to achieve them.
But then Russia’s attack on Ukraine happened and everything fell apart.
An Unseen Energy Crisis
As a response to Russia’s invasion, many countries laid sanctions on a nation that contributes heavily to energy supplies on the continent. As a result, these countries are now having to rely on alternative means of energy production, some of which go heavily against the clean energy grain.
For instance, coal, which everyone has been looking to phase out has become an essential part of power production in many countries. The carbon emissions of such production are high and threaten to roll back the gains made painfully over the years.
Which Way Out of the Crisis?
In the short term, it looks like development on that front will be excruciatingly slow. The most immediate response would be lifting sanctions on Russia, but diplomatic policy makes that easier said than done.
So for now the world has to make do with backward progress while at the same time thinking hard and fast. Countries that were initially sluggish in developing solar and wind sources of energy must now wake up.
Everyone must find the silver lining in this crisis if sustainable energy goals are to be achieved.