"Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back attacks on Russian energy"

[roblosricos@mastodon.social]

@Npars01 @benroyce

Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.

forbes.com

(www.forbes.com)

[npars01@mstdn.social]

@roblosricos @benroyce

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

(www.bloomberg.com)

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

(www.bloomberg.com)

Democracy continues to ignore how far the fossil fuel industry is willing to go to keep its customers trapped.

Iran War Is The Beginning Of The End For Fossil Fuels - CleanTechnica

The world continues to fight wars over oil. Is the conflict in Iran that beginning of a shift away from from fossil fuels?

CleanTechnica (cleantechnica.com)

Iran war spikes energy prices – UK homes ditch fossil fuels fast

The Iran war is driving up fossil fuel prices, rapidly pushing UK households to solar, heat pumps, and EV chargers to cut costs.

Electrek (electrek.co)

Fossil fuel companies finally accept the climate crisis – just not their role in it

The era of corporate climate denial is over but in courts around the world the big names have shifted strategy

the Guardian (www.theguardian.com)

Just a moment...

(sojo.net)

Fossil Fuel Propaganda Is Keeping Americans From Switching to Electric Vehicles

As Iran war gas prices surge, experts say fossil fuel propaganda is blocking the U.S. shift to EVs and renewables that could protect families and the planet.

One Green Planet (www.onegreenplanet.org)

Greenpeace: Middle East Tensions Aren’t the Culprit to Korea’s Economic Crisis—Fossil Fuel Dependency Is - Greenpeace East Asia

The following is a statement from Greenpeace East Asia Seoul office regarding the economic crisis triggered by the Iran war and an urgent call for the South Korean government to abandon its reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to a self-sufficient, renewable energy system.

Greenpeace East Asia (www.greenpeace.org)

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

(www.bloomberg.com)

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@mike805 @roblosricos @Npars01

the cost of the climate crisis and vile regimes matter too

you fund russia, russia kills people, you have a couple of EF5s in nebraska, you kill people

of course, the "decision makers" don't know or don't care, but that remains the truth

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@mike805 @roblosricos @Npars01

you're still going to consume fossil fuels no matter what

obviously if you get the civilian transportation and heating infrastructure off it you make a big dent. make it cheaper too

the goal isn't perfection mike, that's an invalid perspective

[rantingcanuck@mstdn.ca]

@mike805 @roblosricos @Npars01 @benroyce

Most petro-state's primary benefit from having fossil fuels is the ability to export them. If the non petro-states transition to renewables (which provides both environmental and national security benefits to them) it cuts off the export markets the petro-states rely on and that will force the petro-states to adopt green technology in turn.

[sibshops@mastodon.online]

@benroyce Maybe this is a sign to get off of fossil fuels.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@Sibshops

yes of course

fossil fuels fund vile regimes

and there's climate change

but even if we forget morality or good strategy: it's fucking cheaper

the problem is it requires investment

our stupid fucking governments would rather suckle at the teat of fossil fuel money and maintain the status quo, rather than prepare for the future that is coming no matter their indolent heel dragging and corruption

[drangnon@hachyderm.io]

@benroyce how unamerican of you

> Fuck any country in Europe still stuck on #oil and #gas

Think instead of the Opportunity, to invest in infrastructure build out for electric cars, or to profit from introducing heat pumps and mini splits in hundreds year old buildings

.
.
.
Can't decide if I'm sarcastic here or not, hm

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@draNgNon

[axomamma@mastodon.online]

@benroyce wtf?

With "allies" like that, who needs enemies?

[rupert@mastodon.nz]

@benroyce Funny how the short term pain for long term gain guys currently gassing about the Usraeli war on Iran don't seem to think it applies to oil.
I wonder why that could be?

[tattered@social.vivaldi.net]

@roblosricos @Npars01 @benroyce

It’s a nice piece. But Forbes avoids mentioning that the interviewee, “Energy Minister from 2008 to 2015”, was a member of a Broad Front government.

As China continues to show, strong socialist policies support converting to renewables. Meanwhile, free market economies support what the powerful industrialists prefer.

Want Greener policies? Get a more socialist government!

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@Tattered @roblosricos @Npars01

i wouldn't agree with china as a depiction of socialism. more like capitalist totalitarianism. a smart one, for now. but all authoritarianism goes one way in the end, one way or another

you do understand that china is capitalist, yes?

[donchacale@mastodon.social]

@benroyce @Sibshops
they're building bunkers and stockpiling food and water and fuel and arms

[tattered@social.vivaldi.net]

@benroyce @roblosricos @Npars01

I understand.

I am very sympathetic to Xi. I lived in rural Western China for a year and I saw the effects of his policies on ordinary people. The reopening of the Shanghai stock exchange was by his predecessor. Xi has taken the revenue generated and poured it into public projects, aimed at lifting people out of poverty; cheaper energy, cheaper and more efficient public transport, government subsidies for opening mom & pop stores, fixed prices for food, and so on.

I often repeat the point that Xi knows what it’s like to go to school without shoes. I honestly believe that his support for the nation’s poorest people is heartfelt and genuine.

[tattered@social.vivaldi.net]

@benroyce @roblosricos @Npars01 One of my brighter students referred to China’s economy as “managed free market”. It’s a lovely tongue in cheek observation.

Further, I grew up in a capitalist UK economy that coexisted with a socialist welfare state. Aspects of Xi’s China have some similarities to mid 20th century UK Labour attempts at a halfway house. Fortunately, China doesn’t have a Tory Party dominating the national media, so the social projects should last longer.

[bltpizza@mastodon.social]

@benroyce We support democracy unless it makes gas expensive

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@Tattered @roblosricos @Npars01

my friend

you can declare yourself a friend of the people

or you can declare yourself a friend of this:

China's Xi allowed to remain 'president for life' as term limits removed

China's Xi Jinping could stay in power indefinitely after parliament backs constitutional changes.

(www.bbc.com)

you can't do both

you're not an idiot. you know where that leads

and yes, the average citizen of china has put aside freedoms and rights because economic growth is a rocket ship

you do to?

and might i remind you, it's all due to capitalism

i don't champion capitalism. but it means you referring to socialism here is a puzzle

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@Tattered @roblosricos @Npars01

ah

so you believe, under an autocratic system as in china, as opposed to a democratic system as in the uk, that there is a better chance for plutocratic forces to fade and socialist forces to dominate

that's a very interesting belief my friend, to put it as mildly as possible

[tattered@social.vivaldi.net]

@benroyce @roblosricos @Npars01

I think it would be fair to say that we would agree that the Republican Party, or the UK Conservative Party, and the Murdoch press are working counter to the interests of the working people.

Capitalism exists everywhere. Social projects are the only way that socialist governments can operate *within* a capitalist economy, like the Uruguayan example. Xi’s domestic policies are socialist in much the same way.

Do I think Xi should be President for life? No.
Do I think he deserves credit for lifting millions of people out of poverty and for increasing commitment to renewable energy? Yes.

I think I’d even praise DJT if he did these things. But we both know it’s a safe bet that he never would.

Do I trust the Chinese system to keep the working class safe under any leader? No (See the Cultural Revolution).
Do I trust capitalist parliamentarianism? Also no.

I am, I hope, not entirely a fool.

I know we have differences of opinion. We also share many of the same hopes.

I think it’s important to celebrate gains that are made towards those goals, even in systems we cannot wholeheartedly support.

Do I trust Xi entirely? No.
Do I think he has done more good for the people of the world than DJT, Netanyahu, MBS, or Putin? Yes.