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No more excuses over switch to clean energy

Despite government indifference, renewables are taking over the world. Imagine what could happen with some serious backing

HERE are some depressing facts: there is no global agreement to stop climate change; many countries don鈥檛 have a serious policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; fossil fuels still receive more subsidy than clean energy.

And yet despite this, renewable energy is catching on. It will overtake gas as a source of electricity within three years. By 2018, a quarter of the world鈥檚 electricity will come from sources like hydropower and wind. Other technologies like solar panels are also going global (see 鈥Rise of renewables starts climate-change fightback鈥).

This has been done with only sporadic government support, and in the face of opponents arguing that renewables are unreliable and expensive. Such excuses no longer wash. If a grass-roots movement can achieve all this, imagine how clean our energy could be if governments pulled their fingers out.

Topics: Climate change / Electricity / Energy and fuels / Environment