Landmark United Nations Climate Change Study Says Renewable Energy Can Power The World!

Renewable energy can power the world, says landmark IPCC study
UN's climate change science body says renewables supply, particularly solar power, can meet global demand
By Fiona Harvey
May 9, 2011

Renewable energy could account for almost 80% of the world's energy supply within four decades - but only if governments pursue the policies needed to promote green power, according to a landmark report published on Monday.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the body of the world's leading climate scientists convened by the United Nations, said that if the full range of renewable technologies were deployed, the world could keep greenhouse gas concentrations to less than 450 parts per million, the level scientists have predicted will be the limit of safety beyond which climate change becomes catastrophic and irreversible.

Investing in renewables to the extent needed would cost only about 1% of global GDP annually, said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC.

Renewable energy is already growing fast – of the 300 gigawatts of new electricity generation capacity added globally between 2008 and 2009, about 140GW came from renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, according to the report.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/ipcc-renewable-energy-power-world


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PRESS RELEASE:

Potential of Renewable Energy Outlined - Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Experts Underline Significant Future Role in Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Powering Sustainable Development


Over 160 Scenarios on the Potential of six Renewable Energy Technologies Reviewed by Global Team of Technological Experts and Scientists

11th Session of Working Group III, 5-8 May 2011

Abu Dhabi, 9 May 2011 – Close to 80 percent of the world’s energy supply could be met by renewables by mid-century if backed by the right enabling public policies a new report shows.

The findings, from over 120 researchers working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), also indicate that the rising penetration of renewable energies could lead to cumulative greenhouse gas savings equivalent to 220 to 560 Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (GtC02eq) between 2010 and 2050.

The upper end of the scenarios assessed, representing a cut of around a third in greenhouse gas emissions from business-as-usual projections, could assist in keeping concentrations of greenhouse gases at 450 parts per million.

This could contribute towards a goal of holding the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius – an aim recognized in the United Nations Climate Convention's Cancun Agreements.

The findings, launched today after being approved by member countries of the IPCC in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are contained in a summary for policymakers of the Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation (SRREN).

The summary is a short version of a roughly a thousand page comprehensive assessment compiled by over 120 leading experts from all over the world for IPCC’s Working Group III.

“With consistent climate and energy policy support, renewable energy sources can contribute substantially to human well-being by sustainably supplying energy and stabilizing the climate,” said Professor Ottmar Edenhofer, Co-Chair of Working Group III at the report launch.

“However, the substantial increase of renewables is technically and politically very challenging” he added.

Youba Sokona, Co-Chair of the Working Group III, said: “The potential role of renewable energy technologies in meeting the needs of the poor and in powering the sustainable growth of developing and developed economies can trigger sharply polarized views. This IPCC report has brought some much needed clarity to this debate in order to inform governments on the options and decisions that will needed if the world is to collectively realize a low carbon, far more resource efficient and equitable development path.”

Ramon Pichs, Co-Chair of the Working Group III, added: “The report shows that it is not the availability of the resource, but the public policies that will either expand or constrain renewable energy development over the coming decades. Developing countries have an important stake in this future—this is where most of the 1.4 billion people without access to electricity live yet also where some of the best conditions exist for renewable energy deployment.”

Also speaking at the launch, Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC, said: “The IPCC brought together the most relevant and best available information to provide the world with this scientific assessment of the potential of renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change. The Special Report can serve as a sound knowledge basis for policymakers to take on this major challenge of the 21st century.”

The report will feed into the broader work of the IPCC as it prepares its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The AR5 Synthesis Report is scheduled for finalization in September 2014.

The SRREN, approved by government representatives from 194 nations, has reviewed the current penetration of six renewable energy technologies and their potential deployment over the coming decades.

The six renewable energy technologies reviewed are:

Bioenergy, including energy crops; forest, agricultural and livestock residues and so called second generation biofuels
Direct solar energy including photovoltaics and concentrating solar power
Geothermal energy, based on heat extraction from the Earth’s interior
Hydropower, including run-of-river, in-stream or dam projects with reservoirs
Ocean energy, ranging from barrages to ocean currents and ones which harness temperature differences in the marine realm
Wind energy, including on- and offshore systems

Please read the full text of the Press Release at:

http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de/press

Oops, I mean socialists. I forgot my buzzword dictionary of the day.

n/t

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And they still insist the Earth is round!!!

Really?

It has some big bumps we call mountains by round like a baseball?

Give me a break.

Seems to me we'd fall off if it was.

Scientists indeed!

And now they want us to use wind, sun and other stuff for power.

Well, I'm not gonna put a windmill in my backyard or on top of my roof for some electricity. Besides, it might interfere with my DirectTV satellite receiver.

So there!