Comments on: Renewables are the future, whatever Donald Trump says https://leftfootforward.org/2016/11/renewables-are-the-future-whatever-donald-trump-says/ Left Foot Forward is the home for UK progressives. We provide evidence-based analysis on British politics, news and policy. Mon, 28 Nov 2016 18:57:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.5 By: NHSGP https://leftfootforward.org/2016/11/renewables-are-the-future-whatever-donald-trump-says/#comment-848199 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 18:57:29 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=116956#comment-848199 Dump the subsidies. Put the same tax on all energy.

If you are right, renewables take over.

]]> By: Craig Mackay https://leftfootforward.org/2016/11/renewables-are-the-future-whatever-donald-trump-says/#comment-848127 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:19:21 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=116956#comment-848127 I think Simon Bullock is right to be optimistic. Many years have shown that wringing of hands doesn’t produce much effect on carbon usage. It has to be money that makes a difference. The cost of energy from solar power is collapsing. The key development is batteries for storage and that is being driven as much by companies like Tesla investing in battery technology for electric cars. An interesting, if slightly overlong but quite readable book by Chris Goodall “The Switch” lays out where we are with many of these technologies. Already solar panel and battery packages are sold for the sunnier parts of the US as providing year-round supply for farmhouses and bigger settlements in remote areas.
Once the economics make shifting from a carbon economy financially essential then that will be what happens. There are always going to be some areas such as aviation which will need liquid fuel. However even there technologies to synthesise liquid fuel using solar power are in stage of advanced development.
Finally, I think that amongst all the depressing things happening at present we have something to be cautiously optimistic about. Cheap and plentiful energy without pollution will make an enormous difference to our world.

]]> By: Estate Agent - Brandon https://leftfootforward.org/2016/11/renewables-are-the-future-whatever-donald-trump-says/#comment-848123 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:41:40 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=116956#comment-848123 It’s difficult to see the end game with climate change. Nice post.

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