By Paul Brown Virtually all the world's demand for electricity to run transport and to heat and cool homes and offices, as well as to provide the power demanded by industry, could be met by renewable energy by mid-century. This is the consensus of 47 peer-reviewed research papers from 13 independent groups with a total of 91 authors that have been brought together by Stanford University in California. Some of the papers take a broad sweep across the world, adding together the potential for each technology to see if individual countries or whole regions could survive on renewables. Special examinations of small island states, sub-Saharan Africa and individual countries like Germany look to see what are the barriers to progress and how they could be removed. In every case the findings are that the technology exists to achieve 100% renewable power if the political will to achieve it can be mustered. The collection of papers is a powerful rebuff to those who say that renewables are not reliable or cannot be expanded fast enough to take over from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Once proper energy efficiency measures are in place, a combination of wind, solar and water power, with various forms of storage capacity, can add up to 100% of energy needs in every part of the planet. Stanford puts one of its own papers at the top of the list. It studies the impacts of the Green New Deal proposals on grid stability, costs, jobs, health and climate in 143 countries. With the world already approaching 1.5°C of heating, it says, seven million people killed by air pollution annually, and limited fossil fuel resources potentially sparking conflict, Stanford's researchers wanted to compare business-as-usual with a 100% transition to wind-water-solar energy, efficiency and storage by 2050 – with at least 80% by 2030. By grouping the countries of the world together into 24 regions co-operating on grid stability and storage solutions, supply could match demand by 2050-2052 with 100% reliance on renewables. The amount of energy used overall would be reduced by 57.1%, costs would fall by a similar amount, and 28.6 million more long-term full-time jobs would be created than under business-as-usual. Clean Air BonusThe remarkable consensus among researchers is perhaps surprising, since climate and weather conditions differ so much in different latitudes. It seems though that as the cost of renewables, particularly wind and solar, has tumbled, and energy storage solutions multiplied, every part of the world can now find a system that edges fossil fuels out in costs. That, plus the benefit of clean air, particularly in Asian countries like India and China, makes renewables far more beneficial on any cost-benefit analysis. The appearance of so many papers mirrors the consensus that climate scientists have managed to achieve in warning the world's political leaders that time is running out for them to act to keep the temperature below dangerous levels. Since in total the solutions offered cover countries producing more than 97% of the world's greenhouse gases, they provide a blueprint for the next round of UN climate talks, to be held in Glasgow in November. At COP-26, as the conference is called, politicians will be asked to make new commitments to avoid dangerous climate change. This Stanford file shows them that all they need is political will for them to be able to achieve climate stability. Reposted with permission from Climate News Network. From Your Site Articles Significant Renewable Energy Growth in U.S. Very Soon, New ... › Offshore Wind Power Could Produce More Electricity Than World ... › Related Articles Around the Web 142 GW of global solar capacity will be added in 2020, says IHS ... › Texas Is the Center of the Global Corporate Renewable Energy Market › Renewable energy to expand by 50% in next five years - report ... ›

By Tara Lohan To be a good wildlife photographer, you need an expertly trained eye. But good ears help, too. Read More

Poor people in developing countries are far more likely to suffer from exposure to pesticides classified as having high hazard to human health or the environment, according to new data that Unearthed analyzed. Read More

By George Citroner Exposure to phthalates was associated with autism traits in boys (but not girls) between ages 3 and 4 years, according to a new study.However, the risk was diminished in women who took folic acid during their pregnancy.This study is the first to find that folic acid supplements provide a protective effect from phthalates.Exposure in the womb to a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals called phthalates was associated with autism traits in boys (but not girls) between ages 3 and 4 years, according to a new study. Read More

Researchers released a sobering study this week showing that all of the world's coral reefs may be lost to the climate crisis by 2100. Read More

A rare pink grasshopper was discovered by a three-year-old exploring his Austin, Texas garden earlier this week. An image of the candy-colored insect was shared by the boy's mother Allison Barger, according to KXAN, an NBC affiliate. Read More