Goldilocks and the Three Energy Realities: Why Fossil Fuels Still Rule the World

"This porridge is too hot, this porridge is too cold, but this porridge is just right." Who doesn’t live in a house with heating and cooling, a fridge, and a stove? I’d wager every Labor, Teal, and Green candidate enjoys all the modern conveniences that make life comfortable.

For decades, alarmists have warned of impending disasters—“Peak Oil!” “Peak Coal!” “Climate Catastrophe!”—predicting the collapse of modern civilisation. Yet, as we approach 2030, the year Australia is set to cut carbon emissions by 43% below 2005 levels and transition to 82% renewable energy, the world seems to have other plans. Instead of plunging into economic ruin and energy scarcity, global energy consumption is rising, fossil fuel use remains strong, and human progress continues. Even the International Energy Agency (IEA)—once a staunch advocate of “peak coal” warnings—has been forced to admit that its predictions of fossil fuel decline were far off the mark.

As the IEA now concedes, “coal is often considered a fuel of the past, but global consumption of it has doubled in the past three decades.” The numbers speak for themselves. In 2023, global coal demand hit an all-time high of 8,771 million metric tonnes, and it’s still climbing, with fresh records expected in 2025, 2026, and 2027. To put that in perspective, 8,771 million metric tonnes divided into 70,000-tonne Panamax ships equals 125,300 shiploads.

Power generation from coal will reach a staggering 10,700 terawatt-hours in 2024—enough to power the entire United States twice over for a year. This is not a plateau; it’s an uphill race. In fact, the IEA’s latest forecast for 2026 is 503 million tonnes higher than last year’s, an increase equivalent to the combined annual coal consumption of the United States and Japan. So much for the end of fosssile fuels.

This vast amount of coal use translates to about one tonne per person per year globally. Meanwhile, global grain production continues to keep pace with population growth, producing roughly half a tonne per person annually. As for meat, the world now consumes an average of 43 kilograms per person each year, with demand consistently rising. Good news for the livestock sector—not so great for the animal activists.

These numbers are not anomalies—they are a testament to humanity’s resilience and progress, and the fact that the elites have lost control of their renewables dream. The demand for cheap energy and meat reflects genuine human flourishing, something the green left seems unwilling to acknowledge, especially when it comes to the world’s poor aspiring to reach our standard of living. The reality is that population growth and economic development have driven parallel increases in energy use and food production, ensuring that more people than ever are fed, warm, and mobile.

While the IEA once predicted that renewable energy would push coal into decline, they now find themselves eating their words year after year. Solar panels and wind turbines might be the “light on the hill” that warms the hearts of environmental activists, but they don’t power the factories in India or the steel mills in China. And despite all the glossy advertisements and endless government subsidies, renewable energy hasn’t replaced fossil fuels—it has barely complemented them.

Let’s look at the numbers. As of 2025, global renewable energy capacity stands at approximately 3,700 gigawatts (GW), contributing around 30-35% of the world’s electricity generation—roughly 8,300 terawatt-hours (TWh). Amusingly, that figure is almost identical to the amount of energy produced by coal-fired power stations. Remove coal from the equation, and we’re in for some cold, dark nights whenever the wind isn’t blowing—unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to be hooked into the 1,400 GW of hydroelectric power built around the world.

So where are Dr. Brown and the anti-dam Greens now? Perhaps they’d care to explain how we’re supposed to keep the lights on without the very infrastructure they’ve spent decades opposing

Despite the relentless push for renewables, fossil fuels continue to dominate and underpin the global energy supply, powering industries, transport, and economies at scales that renewables have no hope of matching. The world isn’t running on sunshine and breezes—it still relies on the dense, reliable energy provided by nuclear, coal, oil, and gas.

In fact, if there’s one resource we truly are peaking, it’s hysteria. As climate alarmists ramp up their rhetoric ahead of the next federal election—calling for bans on everything from internal combustion engines to gas stoves and utes—the air-conditioning-loving voting public is waking up to the cost of this crusade. In 2024, global installations of wind and solar farms began to slow. Why? Because they’re expensive, unreliable, and land-hungry. Meanwhile, ordinary people just want to live comfortably—to eat steak, drive cars, and take flights without being lectured about their carbon footprints.

Despite the madness of the Greens Left, energy demand isn’t driven by utopian fantasies—it’s driven by pragmatism. In this reality, Goldilocks isn’t cowering in fear of fossil fuels—she’s burning coal to keep her porridge warm. And the Three Bears? They’re driving SUVs, eating grain-fed beef, and cooking their meals on gas stoves. Renewable energy might make activists feel warm and fuzzy, but for the billions of people in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, coal, oil, and natural gas are what actually deliver growth, jobs, and modern comforts.

The great irony of the climate crusade is that its biggest promises—an end to fossil fuels, a return to a 'sustainable' way of life—are its most spectacular failures. Humanity doesn’t want to retreat into the past; it wants to move forward.

So, as we enter the era of 'peak climate hysteria,' let’s take a deep breath, flick on our coal-powered air conditioners, and get back to the business of living well.

Meanwhile, the IEA will keep revising its numbers up, climate activists will keep setting unachievable targets, but the reality is clear—fossil fuels are here to stay, food production will continue to grow, and humanity will keep thriving.

Let’s hope this upcoming election marks the beginning of the end of the climate target-setting madness so Mamma bear can get on with getting the porridge temperature just right.

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