‘Nuclear has a lot going for it while net zero will simply not happen’, says sceptical environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg

The Texas rolling black-outs have become a Rorschach test where everyone sees what they’d like to see. Wind skeptics point out that wind turbines are frozen, renewable energy campaigners point out that gas, coal and nuclear power plants also cut out.  But the much more fundamental point is: Not having enough power when you need it can be deadly. This is relevant for the attempt by the Biden administration to get rid of fossil fuels in the electricity sector by 2035. It will create a lot of problems, especially if it is focused on intermittent renewables.

The electric car industry is elated with an incoming Biden administration because it promises to extend and increase electric car subsidies to fix climate change.

Similarly, leaders across the rich world promise lavish carrots along with sticks to outlaw petrol cars. This week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Unfortunately, electric cars will achieve only tiny emissions savings at a very high price.

2013-11-06 One of the longest-running big picture debates is between optimists and pessimists  arguing the state of the world. Pessimists  have constantly painted a dystopian future from Malthus and Jevons to the 1972 book Limits to Growth. Optimists have cheerfully pointed to how everything is getting better.