Archive - Sustainability by numbers

Population growth or decline will have little impact on climate change

It'll be too slow and too late for the timeframes that we need to decarbonise.

15 hrs ago •

My new book — Clearing the Air — is coming out in September!

A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change — in 50 Questions and Answers.

Jul 9 •

June 2025

How does geothermal energy work, and why don’t we use it more?

A primer on geothermal energy, and why it provides just 0.3% of the world's electricity.

Jun 30 •

How big is the generational divide on climate change?

The generational divide on belief and concern about climate change is small; there are slightly bigger gaps in what to do about it.

Jun 19 •

Under-the-hood of writing on Substack

Subscribers, revenue, and why more people should write long-form.

Jun 11 •

Eating wild animals might be sustainable for the few, but not for the many

Some back-of-the-envelope calculations on how many it could feed.

Jun 2 •

May 2025

Why are solar panels and batteries from China so cheap?

It's more to do with automation and state-of-the art manufacturing processes than cheap labour.

May 15 •

What's the carbon footprint of using ChatGPT?

Very small compared to most of the other stuff you do.

May 6 •

April 2025

Do imports of cheap solar panel and other technologies help or hurt domestic jobs in clean energy?

Without a comparative advantage, cheaper energy imports often help domestic jobs.

Apr 21 •

Many second-hand electric cars are cheaper up-front than their petrol equivalents

And no, it's not just for old ones that have done lots of miles.

Apr 3 •

March 2025

Could whales be a solution to climate change? Probably only a very small one.

The numbers don’t live up to some of the hype.

Mar 24 •

Some key insights from the UK Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget

What would it take for the UK to get to net-zero by 2050?

Mar 6 •

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