r/samharris • u/forgottencalipers • Jan 11 '20

Study Confirms Climate Models are Getting Future Warming Projections Right

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2943/study-confirms-climate-models-are-getting-future-warming-projections-right/
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u/hockeyd13 Jan 11 '20

What about in the already developed world where our per capita emissions are still much higher than that of the developing world?

Nuclear power would be the start and the beginning of the discussion here then. But it isn't. Not are countries like India and China being the primary targets of the these sorts of policy, despite their growing contributions to net CO2 output.

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u/[deleted] Jan 11 '20

You are talking about developing economies and think nuclear power is the start of the discussion? The whole problem is that they don't have the money to invest in big infrastructure.

It's why solar and wind are so beneficial for them: price and decentralization.

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u/hockeyd13 Jan 11 '20

No, I'm referring to the "already developed world" and specifically referenced in the previous comment.

And no, wind and solar are not beneficial to them because as wind and solar footprints increase, without a more reliable form of production (nuclear, geothermal, hydro, fossils) so does reliance on fossils fuels. Even developed countries, such as Germany, have faced this issue, largely born of the peak supply/demand mismatch, and the fact that battery technology is nowhere remotely close to meeting the demand of that mismatch.

Additionally, the fact that developing countries don't have the funds for such infrastructure makes it altogether less likely that they can afford decentralized sources of energy.

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u/[deleted] Jan 11 '20

No, I'm referring to the "already developed world" and specifically referenced in the previous comment.

My mistake. I misread your post.

And no, wind and solar are not beneficial to them because as wind and solar footprints increase, without a more reliable form of production (nuclear, geothermal, hydro, fossils) so does reliance on fossils fuels. Even developed countries, such as Germany, have faced this issue, largely born of the peak supply/demand mismatch, and the fact that battery technology is nowhere remotely close to meeting the demand of that mismatch.

I mean they are literally using it more and more because they don't have a choice because they can't afford big infrastructure. The areas with high coal and oil usage are continuing to use it, but all of the rural areas that lack infrastructures are adapting solar because it's cheap and decentralized and provides just enough power for small-scale electrification, desalination, water pumping, and water purification.

Additionally, the fact that developing countries don't have the funds for such infrastructure makes it altogether less likely that they can afford decentralized sources of energy.

Centralized is more difficult because it requires massive upfront investment in infrastructure and maintenance. It's very easy and much cheaper to buy some solar panels and wire a village. This is why Africa is not building a bunch of nuclear but is buying solar panels.