Category: Energy

Great Power, Great Responsibility

Written by Ryan McGuine // The history of humanity is to a large extent one of harvesting increasingly powerful sources of energy. Indeed, the relationship between energy consumption and income level is nearly linear, and Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev famously defined a society’s level of technological development based on the amount of energy it is capable of using and storing. But at the same time that controlling ever-higher amounts of energy is necessary for improving levels of well-being, it also creates immense dangers. Continue reading

Growing Energy on Trees

Written by Ryan McGuine // Biomass is the oldest source of energy harnessed by humans. The history of energy transitions has been one of moving away from biomass and toward fuels with greater power densities, like coal, natural gas, and petroleum, but today it is making a comeback in high-income countries as a way to help combat climate change. While replacing all fossil fuel consumption with biomass would be a disaster for the climate, it will certainly play a role in the decarbonization of the economy. Continue reading

Coronavirus & Climate: Silver Linings & Red Herrings

Written by Ryan McGuine // The COVID-19 outbreak has dramatically changed daily life around the world. The global economy has ground to a halt as governments and individuals take unprecedented social distancing measures to "flatten the curve." Everything humans do affects the natural environment in some way, and coronavirus-related changes to daily life present an interesting contrast to before the virus. Continue reading

Energy Transitions

Written by Ryan McGuine // There have been numerous energy transitions in the past, all of which have been driven by economic imperatives or resource scarcity, and have moved in the direction of increasing power density. The current energy transition toward energy sources that emit less greenhouse gases is a departure from previous transitions in both respects: it is driven by environmental imperatives, and moves in the direction of decreasing power density. Continue reading

Regulating Greenhouse Gases

Written by Ryan McGuine // Today's shift toward toward an energy system that emits less greenhouse gases than the current one is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change. However, achieving this transition on a meaningful timescale is remarkably difficult. While no single policy tool is capable of driving down greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as necessary, it is possible to develop a suite of policies capable of doing so, and at a reasonable cost. Continue reading