To tell you Gen Z and Alpha will live in a prosperous world of new ideas 🙂

[Garlickest]

This is from the Economist (archived link), one of a June 2024 series on how 'clean energy' is going to change the world and just make everything better. I'm slightly pissed off that I won't be here to live through it! (Also pissed off that I have no money to invest in solar, but them's the breaks.)

In short, solar power's improving and increasing so fast that, by the mid-2030s, it will be the main power source throughout the world and a hell of a lot cheaper than fossil fuels. The ready availability of solar energy will free up creative developments that aren't currently happening because they'd be expensive or difficult.

Even more excitingly, Africa will get rich because it's got a lot of sunshine. This will radically alter world inequalities. The impending cascade of economic migration probably won't happen, because a rich Africa can afford shiny new irrigation systems, transportation, and to keep their people cool & healthy.

It's going to be an age of hope, possibility and incredible achievements.

There are quite a few problems to overcome, the two big ones being that all the solar equipment currently comes from China and we need better systems to store & distribute electricity generated in Africa. Also, the oil producers won't be happy about this and may try to stop it - though they are investing heavily in 'clean' sources, so this could even itself out.

It's all so exciting, though - and cheerful! AIBU to be optimistic for the upcoming generations?

China has been intensively 'buying Africa' for several years. They're providing huge development funds in exchange for very demanding trade agreements. The Economist hasn't said so, but I'm thinking China has an eye towards owning as much of the world's solar power as possible - the raw materials and equipment, which they already control, and the actual land that gets the sunshine.

The UK needs to raise its solar game pretty fast, and also - given that sunshine's not our greatest natural resource - stop being so reluctant to get moving on wind & wave power.

Nuclear energy's another alternative, but that's a lot more controversial. Tiny nuclear plants exist, which can service just one town or sector of a city, and they're supposedly safer but still very expensive and not widely tested.

Oh gosh I hope this is true! Want a better world for my children, and it's all been such doom and gloom.

Yes, exactly, @Namechangeywangeyhangey! As I'm old, I am very aware that the only constant is change. But while we're stuck in what feels like a down curve, it's hard to envisage the upturn and what it will look like. These articles REALLY cheered me up.

Yup. Cheap energy is a massive driver of life quality.

We could have had this decades ago with nuclear power, but chose the more dangerous and polluting path by regulating it to death.

But yes, solar is now finally almost there.

What AI does is anyone's three though! Huge possibilities but lots of risks too.

*anyone's guess

What about the threat of war though OP. Can our future generations survive and prosper after another world war?

I'm Gen-Z and it certainly doesn't feel like at the minute

We are certainly in the early part of the process of a new energy revolution. It is all quite exciting when you start looking at it. Obviously the excitement is clouded by worries that it may not be in time to stop the worst of the climate effects but we have to keep hope there.

AI is interesting and could have a lot of promise but in the very short term it is using so much power it is eating into the energy we have gained through renewables. People thought it would be electric cars that do that but it turns out that AI is hungrier.

As the UK spends over £100 billion a year importing oil, petrol and gas this could be a turning point for us as we can spend what we save of that money on things that will make our lives better.

Hope and optimism is crucial to getting out of this mess. We have to move towards a bright future, its a more compelling reason to act than fear in the long run.
Evidence shows us that in the long run it gets better results and fear paralyses.

This makes me a bit happy after a shite day at work. I work in the Low Carbon industry and it’s HARD. Everything we do is brand new to the planet and there’s no guidance. It’s like breaking new ground everyday but this article helps push us forwards