At the United Nations Climate Summit in Paris, the world has finally agreed to eventually put an end to the use of fossil fuels in favor of a global society that is entirely dependent upon clean and renewable energy sources. This agreement will allow future generations to live safer, healthier and more prosperous lives. The world can now finally say that the age of fossil fuels is ending, and the age of renewable energy is starting to take over.
Needless to say, this major shift will have large impacts across the world. Economic opportunity will continue to shift to favor renewables. Coal and oil will be left in the ground, putting an end to dangerous drilling that takes place. New forms of transportation and new power generation facilities will emerge. In essence, the entire human society is being remodeled.
Every year since 2013, the world has been adding more energy from renewable sources than it has from coal, natural gas and oil. Last year, global investment from renewable energy was worth $310 billion. Meanwhile, many major companies are also promising to soon convert to 100% renewable energy.
Much of the transition to renewable energy has occurred from the bottom up. That is, the moves have not been made by national governments, but rather by cities, states and other smaller regions. And many people throughout the world are eager to become a part of this movement. This explains why so many people were driven to the Paris Climate Summit this year. It is a driving force that brings people together in the goal of achieving a cleaner Earth.
It can be seen in many different places. In San Diego, the entire city council, both the Democrats and the Republicans, unanimously agreed to make a transition to 100% clean energy. Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson recently stated that a switch to 100% clean energy is completely possible, even in terms of economics. He believes that 139 world countries can make a total transition to renewable energy by 2050 using technology that is already available.
The desire for a clean planet has brought the world together. It has caused politicians to put aside their differences. It has provided indigenous people with a way to relate to big city dwellers. It has given companies something to promise their customers. Simply put, the world is rallying around energy. Now, billions of voices are demanding action.
It is with this that the world managed to achieve the landmark agreement in Paris. And while it won’t be easy, the process starts today. If the world can follow through on this amazing promise, we are certainly on the path for a much cleaner tomorrow.
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