The global fuel supply has been upended. We give you a range of News Decoder stories on the promise and problems of transitioning to alternative energy.
Solar photovoltaic panels. (Photo credit: songqiuju/Getty Images)
In Colombia this week, more than 50 nations along with other government organizations around the world are meeting to discuss how the world can move beyond fossil fuels, while reducing harm to natural and indigenous environments.
Many analysts are seeing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow channel that goes past Iran, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply must travel — as a new impetus for oil-dependent nations to transition to renewable energy sources.
To help put this movement into perspective, we give you a range of News Decoder stories on the promise and problems of transitioning from oil to alternative energy sources.
1. Renewables soar but fossil fuels give no ground
It’s not too late to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy, decarbonize industry and adapt land-use to trap carbon in soil and plants. By Sue Landau.
2. Can Indonesia bid farewell to coal?
Billions in international funds have gone to weaning the populous nation off coal. But the country continues to build coal plants despite its pledge to go green. By Jonathan Thatcher.
3. Electric vehicles show they are here to stay
More needs to be done so electric vehicles can reach their potential to reduce carbon emissions. But surging sales show they are here to stay. By Jeremy Lovell.
4. It isn’t easy to nix nuclear energy
The fear of another Chernobyl makes nuclear energy bad for politics. But with Europe struggling to reduce carbon, is it good for the environment? By Düzgün Ali Sarikaya, Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zürich.
5. Can India be a role model for climate-friendly growth?
Meeting a growing energy demand can go hand-in-hand with the green transition. This is what India could show the world. By Preety Sharma.
6. Europe races to install heat pumps to cool the planet.
A heat pump isn’t nearly as sexy as an electric BMW or a floating wind turbine. But on an individual level, it might make a big difference. By Malcolm Davidson.
7. Decoder: The Paris (Dis)Agreement
A decade ago 195 countries gathered to find a way to slow climate change. Will the United States under Trump crash the “green economy” that the agreement promised? By Sarah Edmonds.
8. The people who live where nickel is mined
In remote villages live some of the last nomadic tribes in Indonesia. But nickel mining is disrupting their lives and poisoning their land. By Garry Lotulung.
9. When a river is more important than the energy produced.
Taking down massive dams is one thing. Now can we restore the land to what it was a century ago? By Liam Gwynn.
10. Could Trump’s tariffs spur green innovation?
U.S. trade wars could create new alliances around energy independence and make fossil fuel investments risky. By Karolina Krakowiak.
