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COVID-19 to cause record emissions fall in 2020: IEA

13 Comments
By Patrick GALEY

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It just demonstrates--

If we treated climate change like the threat it is-- to our lives and our livelihood-- we could change our behavior quickly. 

It will be interesting to see how the Chinese public reacts to breathing clean air after twenty years of effectively sucking on an exhaust pipe. Given their current anger at the regime, it might result in some changes.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

I notice the air is fresher and the tinge of diesel in the air has gone-nice to smell the flowers in the air again....

10 ( +10 / -0 )

And yet my water, gas and electricity consumption have all gone up by more than 12% to 17% year over year comparing March 2019 to March 2020 and April 2019 to April 2020 because this virus pandemic has me stuck at home.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Although energy consumption in almost all homes has increased, overall energy demand has plunged dramatically.

Goes to show you how much more energy and pollution is caused by businesses.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

COVID-19 is expected to cause global energy emissions to fall a record eight percent this year due to an unprecedented drop in demand for coal, oil and gas,

Nice to think post-pandemic era there will be a continued drop in demand for coal, oil and gas. Way passed time to move away from the fossil era.

NB I am NOT saying stop burning them; I'm saying find ways to burn less. Burning less is better for the environment.

Reducing dependence on fossils fuels, reducing demand and thereby price for them would perhaps make the masters of war rethink their wars for oil. But given how profitable wars are for them, they'd probably just find another resource to fight over. Water next?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

It will be interesting to see how the Chinese public reacts to breathing clean air after twenty years of effectively sucking on an exhaust pipe. Given their current anger at the regime, it might result in some changes.

I think that their love of money will come first - the coal stations will reopen. But going forward, there may be a movement to open alternative sources of power.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Sadly unless positive steps are taken before the end of the lock downs around the globe, nothing will change. Industry will jump right back in just as dirty and careless as before.

Change may be Government mandated or even more effectively, consumer lead.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Mother Nature is sending a very strong, costly, and deadly message to it's children, clean up or you will be cleaned OUT.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"""Overall, energy-related carbon emissions are set to fall by almost eight percent, reaching their lowest level since 2010."""

See!?, Who said few months ago IT CAN'T be done??

1 ( +1 / -0 )

See!?, Who said few months ago IT CAN'T be done??

It seems like we have to decimate the global economy just to get back to 2010 levels. It can be done, but there price is such that we will give it difficult.

People always want more, and once they have it, are never satisfied with less. Humanity is its own worst enemy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wolfpack has a point; technology is the solution not the problem. There are ways of reorganising the commercial world that satisfies the need to be more sustainable and still provide the goods and services we all desire and companies can still make a profit. The major block to change is the shortsighted greed and institutional inertia of most senior corporate managers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This pandemic is a great reminder to humanity of the costs of the de-industrialization that is being pushed by the global Left. The loss of jobs and livelihoods that accompany the ending of business results in spiraling poverty and public debt. Guess what - someone has to drive the truck that delivers the products you purchased from Amazon.

Some people just can’t comprehend that people must work to survive. They will just get what the need from the government - as if there is no link between government and the goods and services they are asked to provide.

Unless you want nothing more than a subsistence life you must work for or create a value adding business. Business requires reliable power. It would be nice if the Left would go all in on nuclear as the solution because that is the only source for a modern power system that doesn’t pollute.

I would rather not go back to the days of backbreaking menial labor for 95% of the world’s population in order to “save” an inanimate object called the Earth.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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