One podcaster has drawn the ire of a doctoral candidate for claiming that only the most elementary form of energy production would be available should we pivot from fossil fuels.
In the video Rosh D'Arcy (@all_about_climate) analyzes, the podcaster mocks people who want to reduce reliance on dirty energy sources and questions if they would resort to wood.
@all_about_climate What century is he living in? Let's talk about alternative energy sources that could displace fossil fuels. #climatechange #climateaction #science #explained #debunked #fossilfuels #wind #solar #greenenergy #renewableenergy #nuclear #environment #sustainable ♬ original sound - Rosh
"I like that this guy thinks that the only alternative to burning fossil fuels is burning wood," Rosh responds in his TikTok. "What century is he living in?"
"We have so many alternative energy sources now, and a lot of them are actually much cheaper than fossil fuels," he continues, citing information from the International Renewable Energy Agency published in 2020.
According to the organization's report, solar photovoltaics demonstrated the steepest cost decline from 2010 to 2019 at 82%, falling from $0.387 per kilowatt-hour to $0.068.
That trend continued into this decade, with PV costing just $0.0636 per kWh in 2022 — more than four times less than gas, which cost $0.2691 per kWh.
Wind power may not have dropped as drastically as solar energy, but data from IRENA found that newly commissioned onshore and offshore wind projects in 2022 cost $0.033 kWh and $0.081 kWh.
"Replacing the costliest 500 gigawatts of coal capacity with solar and wind would cut annual system costs by up to USD 23 billion per year and yield a stimulus worth USD 940 billion," the study added.
Rosh also lists nuclear power and hydropower as additional energy sources that can curb our usage of traditional forms of energy. Other alternatives include geothermal energy, which uses heat from reservoirs miles below Earth's surface, and biofuel.
Transitioning to these options is as crucial as ever as we attempt to limit the warming of the planet to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Extracting coal, crude oil, and natural gas destroys habitats and pollute waterways. Meanwhile, burning them produces planet-warming gases that increase the severity and frequency of extreme weather events, including wildfires and flooding. Furthermore, the toxic fumes produced by these sources lead to lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes.
"So this guy is either incredibly ignorant or he's deliberately trying to mislead his audience," Rosh concludes.
As with any subject this divisive, many commenters challenged Rosh, while others supported him.
"Please keep making content. I'm loving your sensible take on all of these antiquated ideas," one person wrote.
"He knows the difference, his audience don't," another said of the podcaster. "That's how these grifters make money. They prey on the uneducated."
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