A climate scientist explained that there is hope to address Earth's rising temperature, and the solution may be closer at hand than we think.
Dr. Doug McNeall (@dougmcneall) recently shared a TikTok video addressing the attitude that we are doomed to an ever-increasing planetary temperature.
"If somebody ever tells you there's no hope that we can solve climate change, then just show them this graph," he says in the video.
@dougmcneall Renewables will outstrip coal for electricity generation in 2026. #learnontiktok #science #climatechange #climate #climatescience ♬ original sound - Dr. Doug McNeall
The graph in question shows the different sources of electricity being used worldwide since 1990. While coal has been in the lead for decades, data from the International Energy Agency suggests that renewable sources such as wind and solar will overtake it by 2026 at the latest.
"And that's great news because coal is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas, which causes global warming, which causes climate change," McNeall explains. "And more climate change is bad for ecosystems, it's bad for society."
Indeed, dirty energy sources like coal and other fossil fuels are widely recognized as the driving force behind our planet's overheating.
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The more we rely on gas-powered cars and electricity generated from coal, the more heat-trapping gas is pumped into our atmosphere, and the hotter Earth gets. This makes the climate less stable, exacerbating extreme weather events that damage our economy and threaten human safety.
The only long-term solution is to switch to clean energy like solar and wind, sources of electricity that don't produce heat-trapping air pollution. The more solar panels we put up and electric cars we drive, the better chance we have of turning climate change around.
And while not every country is on board, much of the world is making an effort.
"Overall, the world is really paying attention and really taking active steps to combat climate change," McNeall says.
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That's something to celebrate.
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How often do you feel hopeful about the future of the planet when you read news stories or watch entertainment content? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Often 😇 
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