cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/54245880
The U.S. war with Iran has raised fossil fuel prices so much that the resulting drop in oil demand has put the world on track to see a rare dip in carbon emissions from these sources in 2026.
Between 2019 and 2025, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels grew by about 0.8 percent annually, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. But 2026 is set to buck that trend: high oil prices, as well as the continued rise of green technology—solar power, wind and electric cars—will cause a “short-term” 0.4 percent drop, according to the study.
“The high petrol prices following the war in Iran are reducing oil use and keeping emissions low,” says the study’s lead author Corinne Le Quéré, a professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia in England. “But that’s not the whole story: The expansion of renewable energy has progressed a lot in recent years, led by China. And [along with electric vehicles], this is offsetting two thirds of the growing demand for energy.”
With all sources of carbon considered, including deforestation, total global CO2 emissions are set to continue increasing.
Does your work or school not have charging points? If not, that’s the classic supply-demand problem…
Like, I don’t have charging at home either, but I can drive several hours without charging. You possibly could too. Have you checked your stretches on something like A Better Routeplanner for example?
Even if I was to use exclusively superfast charging, it’d still be cheaper than diesel. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, and drive to the middle of nowhere, the charge-anxiety can often be exaggerated, or at least it was in my case.
(I understand the real problem is an electric car might not be affordable enough for you, but I’ve become peeved about charge-anxiety)
My work and school do not have charging points. I also put in 70 hour weeks between work and school, I’m not spending any of my precious little free time driving 20 minutes away to sit in a parking lot and charge.