Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future

The authors assert that 80 percent of global energy needs could be met by renewables by 2050, as stated by the IPCC. They critique a New York Times op-ed by Robert Bryce, arguing that his claims regarding the environmental impact and land requirements of wind and solar are based on faulty calculations. The text highlights that a 33 percent renewable electricity mandate in the US would require approximately 800 square miles of land, which is less than one third of the forest area destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining. The authors advocate for a diverse energy platform including renewables, natural gas, and nuclear power, evaluated through honest life-cycle criteria.

• According to the IPCC's Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources, it is possible for renewable energy to provide 80 percent of global energy needs by 2050, with the primary obstacle being a lack of leadership to coordinate policy rather than a lack of resources or technology.
• The authors contest claims that renewable energy is more environmentally destructive than natural gas or nuclear power, noting that wind and solar are compatible with other land uses and do not spoil land in the same manner as nuclear waste storage or fossil fuel extraction.
• Implementing a 33 percent renewable electricity mandate across the United States would require roughly 800 square miles of land, an area smaller than twice the size of Edwards Air Force Base and less than one third of the forest area the EPA estimates was destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining.
• EPA studies indicate that 'fugitive' emissions from natural gas extraction can make its total global warming potential comparable to coal, whereas operating solar panels and wind turbines produce no waste stream and require no fuel inputs.
• The authors suggest that a durable energy infrastructure will likely rely on a diverse mix of technologies, including solar, wind, nuclear power, and natural gas, provided they are evaluated using 'cradle to grave' life-cycle criteria.

APA

Kammen, D., Borgeson, S., & Fingerman, K. (2011). Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/honestassessmentsourenergyfuture/

Chicago

Kammen, Daniel, Sam Borgeson, and Kevin Fingerman. Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future. RMI, 2011. https://rmi.org/resources/honestassessmentsourenergyfuture/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kammen |first1=Daniel |last2=Borgeson |first2=Sam |last3=Fingerman |first3=Kevin |title=Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future |publisher=RMI |date=29 June 2011 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/honestassessmentsourenergyfuture/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kammen2011reality, author = {Kammen, Daniel and Borgeson, Sam and Fingerman, Kevin}, title = {{Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2011}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/honestassessmentsourenergyfuture/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }