Al Gore, the master of extreme graphs is at it again. Love him or hate him, he's doing well to make the facts around climate change more digestable than most of the guys in the white lab coats can do.
In this documentary Al Gore focused on renewable energy solutions, including solar power, arguing that the danger of our current devistating trajectory is offset only by the enormous opportunity, led by the business sector, to change the course of history.
Key facts to take away:
- 110 millions tons of co2 is being emitted into the atmosphere every 24 hours
- 85% of co2 emissions is from burning fossil fuels.
- The energy trapped by man made global warming pollution is now equivilant to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs per every day.
- The hottest year ever recorded was 2014.
- 2006 - 2010 drought in Syria turned 60% of their fertile land into desert.
- By 2010 the drought killed 80% of Syria's cattle.
- 2000 Projection: Worldwide wind capacity will reach 20 GW by 2010 - The reality was by 2013 that goal was exceeded by a factor of 10.
- 2000 Projection: Worldwide solar energy market will grow 1 GW per year by 2010 - The Reality: That goal was exceed by 17x. In 2014 it was exceed by 48x. This year it will be exceeded by as much as 62x.
- Deutsche Bank "...we believe the trend is clear: grid parity without subsidies is already here, increasing parity will occur, and solar penetration rates are set to ramp worldwide."
- Bangladesh is the fast deploying country of solar power. On average, 24 hours a day, 2 new pv solars are installed per minute.
- 1 in 7 Australian homes have solar power. 1 in 2 in the state of NSW.
- Enough solar energy reaches Earth every hour to meet the power needs of the entire world for a full year.
Enough said?