It's no secret that social media can be a hotbed of misinformation and conflicting opinions, especially when it comes to topics like rising global temperatures and potential solutions to help slow the planet's overheating.
Luckily, Ph.D. student and content creator Rosh (@all_about_climate) has taken it upon himself to identify and debunk misconceptions about our impact on the environment one video at a time.
@all_about_climate Is #renewableenergy worse for the #environment than #fossilfuels ? #debunking a #climate #myth #factcheck #solar #wind #greenenergy #climatechange #prageru #climateaction #savetheworld #mining #sustainable #science #explained #dumb #politics #fyp #planetearth #propaganda ♬ original sound - Rosh
In his TikTok, Rosh begins by showing a video where the speaker insists that producing clean energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower is just as harmful to the Earth as energy from oil, coal, and gas due to the mining needed to gather the necessary minerals and materials.
Rosh points out that clean energy is more mineral-intensive than energy from oil, coal, and gas, which will require increased mining and, in turn, impact the environment.
However, he continues by breaking down data — from the International Energy Agency and U.S. Energy Information Administration — that shows we are currently harvesting around 16.5 billion tons of coal, oil, and gas every year. That is 500 times more material than we would need to take out of the ground to make rapid developments toward low-carbon energy by the year 2040.
"Now, I know that mining and fossil fuel extraction are directly comparable, but it just goes to show that you can make anything sound scary if you want to," Rosh clarifies in his video.
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He concludes the video with a reminder that once nonrenewable, dirty energy sources like gas and oil are burned up, they're gone for good.
Meanwhile, clean energy technology such as solar panels and wind turbines can keep producing energy for years to come, be reused and recycled, and improve in efficiency over time — that means we may need less mineral mining than we think.
Viewers of the TikTok expressed their gratitude to Rosh for his careful analysis in the comment section, highlighting the importance of getting educated on the environmental issues we all face.
"Such an important and well-made point, Rosh. This video should have millions of views and likes!" one commenter wrote.
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"Thanks for doing what you do," another TikTok user said.
"Keep up the good work," a commenter added.
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