Burning fossil fuels is a huge issue. It's contributing to climate change by warming temperatures, which can cause a cascade of problems for our environment. Now, though, scientists found that the worldwide reliance on burning fossil fuels to create energy could feasibly be phased out in just 10 years.
In this latest study, researchers analyzed energy transitions throughout history. Moving from wood to coal in Europe took between 96 to 160 years, and then electricity took between 47 to 69 years. But this time, it could be done much faster.
Researchers highlighted numerous examples of speedier transitions that are often overlooked by analysts. For example, Ontario completed a shift away from coal between 2003 and 2014. Another example can be found in Indonesia, where a household energy program took just three years to move two-thirds of the population from kerosene stoves to LPG stoves. In addition, France's nuclear power program saw supply rocket from 4 percent of the electricity supply market in 1970 to 40 percent in 1982.
With that said, all of these examples required significant government intervention. However, it does show that aggressive action may be able to result in a fossil fuel-free future in just a few short years. This is especially important in order to meet current climate goals.
"The mainstream view of energy transitions as long, protracted affairs, often taking decades or centuries to occur, is not always supported by the evidence. Moving to a new, cleaner energy system would require significant shifts in technology, political regulations, tariffs and pricing regimes, and the behavior of users and adopters," said Benjamin Sovacool, one of the researchers involved in the new study at the University of Sussex. "Left to evolve by itself - as it has largely been in the past - this can indeed take many decades. A lot of stars have to align all at once. But we have learned a sufficient amount from previous transitions that I believe future transformations can happen much more rapidly."
The findings show that it's possible to have a cleaner future. However, government intervention may be needed in order to accomplish climate goals.
The findings were published in the April edition of the journal Energy Research & Social Science.
