Why Are Renewable Energy And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Both Growing?
[Update: 3/17/24 – Surprisingly, BBC accepted my question.
I’m featured on BBC Worldwide today – The Climate Question show (Question from Bill from Philadelphia). I haven’t listened to it yet, apparently here’s how they framed the question I posed:
the apparent contradiction between more renewable energy and the continuing rise in planet-warming gases
That show is targeted at a general audience and answers often diversionary, popular, or simplistic questions about climate issues submitted to BBC by listeners. The BBC reporters try to make the responses light and “entertaining”, but they sometimes interview scientists or experts (who go out of their way to dumb down replies and avoid politically controversial issues). It’s really an insult to the intelligence of the audience and not effective in educating the public.
Anyway, after getting up early to walk Charlie (my puppy, at 5 am), I was awake enough to listen and get the email address for where to submit questions and decided to submit this one: (which I also sent to NJ media, in light of Gov. Murphy’s upcoming revisions to his Energy Master Plan):
Hi -my climate question is twofold:
1) I often hear (or read) about the significant growth in renewable energy capacity, including the fact that investment in and the rate of growth of renewable exceeds fossil, and that this renewable energy displaces fossil sources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
BUT,
2) I also often hear (or read) that greenhouse gas emissions are increasing and fossil energy extraction (oil, gas, coal) are increasing.
So, my question:
What explains this apparent contradiction? How can both statements be true? If they both are true, why?
Readers are invited to provide answers in email to me (the comment section had to be disabled to block bot attacks).
[Update: here is the BBC’s automated (and legalistic) reply:
Thanks for contacting The Climate Question. We read all our emails but we are not able to reply to every message individually. If you would like to make a complaint, you may do so via the BBC’s complaints website. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints) … The legal basis on which we process special categories of information you have provided is on the basis of the substantial public interest in the BBC producing journalistic content.