NYT: From England to Spain and Albania, countries are rushing towards renewable energy
2023-01-14 17:35:26
TiranaPost
The New York Times sees renewable energy as a good enough answer to Europe's dependence on Russian gas, but also as the only way to finally break away from nuclear power and mitigate climate change.
In the article, the NYT specifically mentions Albania as one of the countries that are rushing into renewable energy sources, alongside England or Spain.
Read part of this article:
From England to Spain and Albania, countries are rushing to use wind and solar energy at record rates.
This in a global war for the survival of the energy markets and therefore the war against climate change.
For most of last year, the effects of the war caused energy prices to rise in many parts of the world, with Europe particularly hard hit.
Even without that market, Russia remains an energy giant. And coal has had a resurgence, beating hopes of meeting goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the outlook is not all bleak, and almost a year after the war, the story is not so simple.
The occupation of Ukraine has had mixed results when it comes to energy and climate, especially in the long term.
Across Europe, gas bills almost doubled and electricity costs rose by around 70 percent in the first six months of the war, according to the Household Energy Price Index, which tracks energy costs.
Costs rose for a number of reasons.
European countries began divesting themselves of Russian fossil fuels in an effort to inflict pain on Vladimir V. Putin's economy.
On the other hand, Russia significantly reduced its oil exports to European countries and in July cut natural gas exports to Europe.
Overall, this was not a good scenario for the climate, which continues to warm rapidly as a result of fossil fuel consumption.
The vast majority of climate scientists say that to limit the extent of warming, people must switch to renewable energy as quickly as possible.
The European Union is working to improve permits for renewable projects, countries are racing to build solar panels and some countries, including Germany, are slowing plans to phase out nuclear power.
While Europe and the United States, for example, have the money to rapidly build wind and solar capacity, poorer countries in Africa and Asia are struggling to meet their immediate needs.
