Regarding customers such as aluminum smelters: I wonder if nature could cope if we used fossil fuels for only them.
Another thing, while wind/solar might might be approaching the cost of fossil fuels I suspect the story may be different for developing countries. In South Africa we have power capacity problems and what was the decision? Build the biggest coal power plant in the southern hemisphere.
If we want to solve climate change developing countries are going to be a very severe problem. The people in charge have no interest in fore-sight.
Actually, yes. Global atmospheric CO2 concentrations will (probably) stabilize if we reduce output to about 5% of the current level, by outflow to the deep ocean (which is a vast reservoir). But that is still very difficult to reach, especially with business as usual.
Another thing, while wind/solar might might be approaching the cost of fossil fuels I suspect the story may be different for developing countries. In South Africa we have power capacity problems and what was the decision? Build the biggest coal power plant in the southern hemisphere.
If we want to solve climate change developing countries are going to be a very severe problem. The people in charge have no interest in fore-sight.