Progress has been made towards alternative energy sources in recent years but fossil fuels still make up 81% of global energy supply and oil companies want to continue developing new projects. In the UK, renewables are being expanded but, whilst the new UK Government ‘will not issue new licences to explore new fields’ they have not promised to revoke the many new licences handed out by the last government – up to 13 projects could soon seek development consent, including the controversial Cambo oilfield. However, the government has decided not to defend the legal challenge against Rosebank oil field, which is a positive step.
Fossil fuel companies are powerful. They are making record profits and want to keep doing so. If the UK Government decided to rescind existing licences, it will face legal challenges by very wealthy corporations. Under the legal framework, new licences were issued to companies who ‘promise to ensure economic recovery of the UK’s oil and gas resources, whilst supporting the drive to net zero carbon by 2050’ – a contradictory situation that really needs review to give industry clearer goalposts. UK’s legal obligations to reach net zero under the Paris Agreement means new projects can be legally challenged on the basis of emissions but defended as being necessary for ‘energy security’.
Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion oppose new oil licences; the United Nations IPCC, after 28 annual conferences with global scientific contributions, is unequivocal that climate change is human-caused; David Attenborough made many TV programmes showing the impacts of climate change; Yellow Dot Studios have started making weekly ’extreme weather’ reports on YouTube. In all, the situation is dire. Polls show that over 80% of the public are concerned about climate issues, yet we have a history of peaceful climate protest being ignored or vilified by politicians and the media. Big Oil v The World on BBC iPlayer proves Big Oil’s influence in creating climate denial that still muddies the political waters today.
With peaceful protest being ignored, groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have resorted to more disruptive tactics to get a media platform for their message, asking that Government sticks to Paris Agreement emissions targets which would effectively mean no new oil.
But even if we hit the Paris targets, science shows the planet is on course for over 3°c of warming. We are already in unchartered territory – Earth systems are changing, responding to increasing heat with unpredictable extreme weather events. Scientists have been shocked at the speed of warming that is now taking place, with off-the-scales surface water temperatures, record-breaking heat waves, extensive destructive wildfires, flooding and drought and calculate that 2024 could average a record-breaking 1.6°c of warming!
Fossil fuels are non-renewable – it has taken millions of years for the planet to create them, but humans have burned through most of them in less than 300 years, bringing us to the verge of an unliveable planet in the process. Stanford University estimates that the Earth has only 30 years of oil, 40 years of gas and 70 years of coal left and what is left is increasingly difficult and expensive to extract.
It has already been proven that renewables are now far cheaper than fossil fuels. Studies show the best path forward is investment in alternative energy, adaptation, and a phased move away from fossil fuels. Currently in the UK, 43% of our power comes from renewable energy, a mix of wind, solar, bioenergy and hydroelectric sources.
So, can the world live without fossil fuels? The rising cost of climate related disasters globally means that we cannot afford to live WITH fossil fuels.
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Rosie Stokes and Pauline Meechan
Dukeries Eco Watch