Martha Molfetas

Renewables are not just for highfalutin hippies, they’re cheaper and avoid the volatility of wars and chaotic leaders. We are not living the 1970s oil shock moment; there are alternatives to fossil fuels. Those who embrace renewable energy will be better off—from health benefits for communities to reducing energy shock burdens for households. The reality unfolding during this latest oil war is that many nations really do not want to be tethered to volatile energy resources. And who can blame them?

Renewables are not just for highfalutin hippies, they’re cheaper and avoid the volatility of wars and chaotic leaders. We are not living the 1970s oil shock moment; there are alternatives to fossil fuels. Those who embrace renewable energy will be better off—from health benefits for communities to reducing energy shock burdens for households. The reality unfolding during this latest oil war is that many nations really do not want to be tethered to volatile energy resources. And who can blame them?

Soon, diplomats and diverse stakeholders will descend on a city in the Amazon Rainforest for the world’s 30th global climate conference of the parties, or COP30. At a time of rapid expansion on renewable energy, increasing climate damages and rising inequality, the stakes couldn’t be higher. We’ve heard it before, but COP30 in Belem, Brazil really will make or break the Paris Agreement.