cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/54245880
The U.S. war with Iran has raised fossil fuel prices so much that the resulting drop in oil demand has put the world on track to see a rare dip in carbon emissions from these sources in 2026.
Between 2019 and 2025, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels grew by about 0.8 percent annually, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. But 2026 is set to buck that trend: high oil prices, as well as the continued rise of green technology—solar power, wind and electric cars—will cause a “short-term” 0.4 percent drop, according to the study.
“The high petrol prices following the war in Iran are reducing oil use and keeping emissions low,” says the study’s lead author Corinne Le Quéré, a professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia in England. “But that’s not the whole story: The expansion of renewable energy has progressed a lot in recent years, led by China. And [along with electric vehicles], this is offsetting two thirds of the growing demand for energy.”
With all sources of carbon considered, including deforestation, total global CO2 emissions are set to continue increasing.
I don’t think we have to be a monolith. But, I am personally glad when gas prices get closer to matching their environmental impact, even if that causes prices (of everything) to go up. I believe there are a LOT of things that can be done by the government to address any amount of “we’re all fucked” that is currently ameliorated by the price of fuel.
High gas prices are like a bitter medicine. No one wants it, it makes us retch and convulse on sight, but it’s good for us. We chose to avoid good habits until it made us sick. We chose not to adopt those good habits when it could have been an easier recovery. Fine. Take your medicine and hope there’s still time for it to help us recover
When the gas prices get higher the price of goods go up because of logistics. Imagine seed to sale for… Corn. You need to fuel the tiller, the crop duster plane, the harvester. You need to fuel the baler. You need to fuel the production plant, you need to fuel the delivery trucks, you need to fuel the grocery stores, you need to fuel your cars to get to the grocery store…
Oh I looked into it I guess the only thing on that list would really be the harvester and the crop duster using actual fuel , there’s a shit load of electric farm equipment …maybe the plant with the nat gas in the winter. That’s just farms though. I’m pretty sure there’s other areas of the market where it helps
What?
You have never seen a grocery store closed with a sign out front reading “ran out of diesel” ?