“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
Albert Einstein
Recently, I asked for your feedback on how to make Unheating better, and I’ve been incorporating some of your ideas. One suggestion was to highlight positive stories from other countries, and it’s a good one. America is a leader on many things, but when it comes to the clean energy transition, there are success stories around the globe for us to emulate.
Can you imagine the world running completely on clean energy? With the somewhat rocky transition we’re experiencing in the United States, it may be hard to envision. But it’s not as far-fetched as you might think. In fact, countries all over the world the world are getting really close to that reality.
Success stories from around the globe
This week I learned that New Zealand is well on its way to generating 100% of its power from renewable energy. A significant percentage is coming from hydro, but solar and wind are picking up speed. I also learned that Sweden has a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040, and they are on track to get there. Other countries knocking it out of the park include Costa Rica and Portugal.
This made me want to know more, like which countries get the highest percentage of their energy from renewable sources?
The 10 countries with the cleanest energy grids:
1. Paraguay – 100%
2. Bhutan – 99.8%
3. Lesotho – 99.3%
4. Nepal – 98.4%
5. Ethiopia – 98.1%
6. Norway – 98.3%
7. Switzerland – 87.4%
8. Iceland – 96.2%
9. Democratic Republic of Congo – 95.5%
10. Albania – 94.8%
You may notice the countries on this list all have small populations, and many have resources not found everywhere; nevertheless, they are showing the rest of the world it can be done. Hydropower is a common denominator, but most are also using a mix of other renewable sources. One big benefit they all enjoy is they are energy independent. That’s right, they don’t have to rely on other countries to meet their energy needs. Imagine that!
When working toward a goal, it helps to see examples of success. And all of these countries are evidence that a different future is possible. In the U.S., we’ve proven again and again, where there’s a will there’s a way. Well, now we know there is definitely a way.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.