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This month’s COP27 summit is an occasion to rally nations collectively towards a standard enemy — local weather change — but it surely could be overshadowed by the humanitarian, financial and geopolitical crises wrought by Russia’s battle on Ukraine.
On high of addressing an existential risk for all of humanity, world leaders should contemplate how you can counter Russia’s provocations because it wields its golden hammer within the world financial system: its gas.
Just some weeks in the past, European officers found that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline had been severed in what officers suspect was an act of Russian sabotage to retaliate towards Europe’s efforts to help Ukraine. Europe had been working to supply its fuels from elsewhere amid political strain to wean itself from Russian gasoline and oil.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Winter is coming, and now Europe should contemplate choices that may inevitably derail its ambition to grow to be climate-neutral by 2050.
Pipes, connections, tools and strain reducers fill the positioning of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Touchdown in Germany. (Picture/iStock)
From coal and nuclear choices to stockpiles of timber and firewood, the alternatives are restricted and consequential each for the well being of the planet and its folks, USC consultants say. The utilization of fossil fuels inevitably will increase carbon emissions and different pollution, and within the case of nuclear vitality, challenges with disposing of dangerous radioactive waste.
“Europe is importing extra from North Africa and different African international locations,” mentioned Robert English, affiliate professor of worldwide relations, Slavic languages and literature, and environmental research on the USC Dornsife Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “They’re additionally going again to utilizing extra coal, despite the fact that they’ve already phased out soiled coal. And Germany has delayed shutting down its nuclear reactors.”
COP27 convenes as demand for coal skyrockets
Shon Hiatt, an professional on world vitality markets at USC Marshall Faculty of Enterprise, mentioned the demand for coal is skyrocketing as pure gasoline costs surge.
“Globally, we’re seeing large reuptake of coal as a result of pure gasoline has grow to be dearer, and within the case of Europe, scarce. Individuals have to warmth their properties and preserve the lights on. It is sensible that international locations are transferring to coal and petroleum. There’s no different selection,” defined Hiatt, an affiliate professor of administration and group. “Europe has one other two years earlier than they’ve the infrastructure in place to get by with out Russian gasoline. And it appears like Europe needs to cease relying on Russian gasoline, whatever the Ukraine final result.”
Hiatt mentioned that as a consequence of their very own limitations, photo voltaic and wind are unlikely to fill the vitality hole left by Russia.
You’ll be able to’t energy an financial system with wind and photo voltaic alone.
Shon Hiatt, USC Marshall Faculty
“With wind and photo voltaic, the perfect complement is pure gasoline as a result of they’re intermittent vitality sources. We all know when the solar is up and down, and the wind solely blows sometimes. In an effort to keep voltage and hertz, that are required to maintain the grid secure, we want dispatchable gasoline mills. You’ll be able to’t energy an financial system with wind and photo voltaic alone,” Hiatt defined.
A tough lesson amid COP27: diversify provide
The ache Europe is feeling now could have been self-inflicted. Steven Lamy, professor emeritus of political science, worldwide relations and spatial sciences at USC Dornsife, mentioned that Europe’s error is in its desire for cheaper, short-term contracts with Russian vitality suppliers over long-term investments in creating its personal infrastructure and provide chain networks.
Germany and different European nations may have constructed ports to herald liquefied pure gasoline, or LNG, which might be cooled to a liquid state and utilized in areas too far for pipelines to succeed in.
However they didn’t. As a substitute, they relied on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“Now, international locations like Germany that lack LNG terminals are going to spend billions storing the vitality various on barges out at sea,” Lamy mentioned.
Extra tales about: Local weather, Local weather Change, Europe, Globalization, Sustainability, Ukraine
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