For most countries around the world, sourcing energy entirely from wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower by 2050 would reduce their energy needs and costs, improve air quality, and help slow climate change, according to a study in Environmental Science & Technology.
Thing is, the time for net-zero has passed, did you hear that whooshing sound?
To pull back from the brink, what is needed is net-negative, which ain’t happening without capture (alongside massive reduction in emissions), economics be damned, it’s an existential threat, it’s about survival. Could be as simple as massive reforestation, could be fusion generators pulling CO2 out of the air, will probably be many different things, but learning what works, as soon as possible, is imperative.
We’re nowhere near net zero, though. We do need to get there first. Since carbon capture removes far less carbon per money spent on it than replacing fossil fuel power plants with clean options does, carbon capture doesn’t really make sense right now
The varieities that might work out are give some other benefit for now. Afforestation can help prevent desertification, for example