Climate Facts You May Not Know

This article lists climate facts you may not know. It was originally published on the Climate Reality site. As a Climate Reality leader (Chicago2013), I’m pleased to feature Climate Reality resources on BoomerWarrior.  (Rolly Montpellier~Managing Editor). 

What you don’t know about the climate crisis – and its solutions – may come as a bit of a shock.

There’s a lot of information — climate facts —  (and just as much misinformation!) out there about the climate crisis.

You know the Earth is already warming, and that it’s going to take a lot of hard work to keep that warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. You’re probably aware that it was largely the burning of too many fossil fuels that caused the climate crisis in the first place. And you likely know that shifting to clean, renewable sources of energy like wind and solar is the best chance we have to turn the tide and create a sustainable future for us all.

You know a lot of the facts and are pretty adept at spotting the myths, but what you don’t know about the climate crisis – and its solutions – may surprise you.

Climate Facts: Renewable Energy is much older than you may think

Image credit: Western Reserve Historical Society.

In the US, we can trace the first electricity-generating wind turbine to 1888! This first turbine was built on a 60-foot tower with a 58-foot rotor, weighing in at 80,000 pounds, and was able to generate up to about 12 kW of electricity. Of course, today’s modern wind turbines produce electricity at an exponentially higher rate. And with so many nations beginning to realize their incredible wind potential, a new renewable energy economy is forming.

For proof, we can look to South and Central America as a crisp example. Argentina recently held renewable energy auctions to triple its current wind capacity from 215 MW to 600MW; Venezuela has installed 50 MW as of 2015, and plans to source 500 MW from wind by 2019; and Mexico boasted 3,000 MW of installed wind capacity in 2015 and could reach 9,500 MW by the end of 2018. We’ll travel to these countries (and many more) to learn how they are starting to shift to clean, renewable energy during 24 Hours of Reality: The Road Forward.

Climate Facts: Solar Panels work even if it’s cold or cloudy

There’s a common myth that solar panels can only produce energy when it is hot and the sun is shining especially bright. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Photovoltaic cells (PVs for short) function just fine when it’s cold and even cloudy.

From the Arctic North in Russia to the warm shores of South Africa, solar panels are aimed towards the sky, ready to receive rays and produce power, whatever the weather. Today, Italy is one of the largest users of solar electricity in the world, with PVs even installed on the Vatican. Japan is experiencing a solar boom – with the country’s solar PV capacity increasing nearly sevenfold between 2011-2015. Germany – a country not exactly known for its tropical climate – ranks second in the world for the most solar PV capacity.

And other countries are making big plans. India recently multiplied their solar goal for 2022 by nearly five, targeting an ambitious 100GW. On December 5-6, we’ll hear from all these nations on their renewable energy goals.

Climate Facts: China is the leader in global wind and solar energy

#ClimateFact: China blows away the competition in wind power https://t.co/spgk62wq7l #RenewablesRising pic.twitter.com/Cklt8GEFEn

— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) June 26, 2016

China – a country with a staggering population of nearly 1.4 billion people – is the world’s largest emitter of the greenhouse gases fueling the climate crisis. With destructive air pollution, water shortages, and desertification, the country and its people are facing some serious environmental and climate issues. But did you know that lately they’re also extremely committed to making positive changes, particularly when it comes to renewable energy?

The country reached an astounding 503 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2015 – more than double its capacity from 2009. Through a series of ambitious five-year plans, China has aimed to reduce its energy intensity, increase its use of non-fossil fuel energy, and cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP. And for the first time ever, China announced it would cap its total primary energy consumption by 2020 – setting a limit of 5 billion metric tons of standard coal equivalent. As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, the country is also hoping to launch the world’s largest carbon-trading market in 2017.

Climate Facts: The Paris Agreement has been signed by 193 countries

#ICYMI: The #ParisAgreement is officially in force. Retweet if you have #ClimateHope! #EarthToMarrakech#MakeItARealitypic.twitter.com/wkpz6RKnzS

— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) November 8, 2016

One hundred ninety three parties have signed on to the Paris Agreement. Just let that sink in a moment.

Countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Ghana, and Panama, all of which have negligible carbon emissions, have signed onto the agreement. While small, they understand they have a lot to lose if the climate crisis is not dealt with, so they have all agreed to do their part. And on the other end of the spectrum, giants like the US, China, India, and Canada have signed on. All countries have varying commitments to reduce their CO2 emissions and increase their renewable energy use, among several other changes happening at federal, state, or local levels. But the statement is loud and clear: the climate crisis is real and countries around the world are standing up to make a change.

On December 5-6, Make Sure to watch 24 Hours of Reality: The Road Forward.