Climate Basics Podcast Episode 17 notes

South America is a diverse place, with many different biomes, cultures, industrial forces, and approaches to ecological cultivation. Large swathes of latin america are protected and/or undeveloped lands, and nearly half of all electricity generation comes from hydropower. Overall across latin america and the caribbean, 65% of energy comes from renewables, far higher than global average South America also recently reached an important benchmark - no new coal power plants! They still have some in operation, but many countries are using coal less and less, moving towards net zero faster than many other regions. On the other hand, there are over a hundred methane gas extraction facilities, and some nations like argentina and venezuela have tied their national economies to fossil fuel production, which might offset the efforts of nations like chile and brasil which have emerged as renewable energy leaders. Chile’s Atacama desert is dry, sunny, and sits at a particularly high elevation, making it an ideal spot for solar energy, and Much of the eastern half of the continent hosts strong, climate-resilient rivers systems which have been used in hydro power Brasil is the leader in terms of economics, energy production, and arguably geopolitical importance, being a founding member of BRICS and having major imports and exports globally. Produces more than 100 GW in hydroelectricity. Brasil has also been a leader in biofuels for a long time now, thanks to their huge amounts of rich agricultural land - previously known at the amazon rain forest - which they’ve consistently turned into ethanol as part of their energy profile. Meanwhile, Patagonia is seeing the effects of climate change and increasing glacial loss will bring about long-term ecosystem changes, and deforestation is a global threat to health and regional threat to rain patterns, impacting both agriculture and the remaining biodiversity hotspots not already lost to development. Overall, South America has the natural resources to continue leading in the green transition, but also has a few regressive actors trying to take advantage of the significant petrol deposits particularly in venezuela and neighboring guyana, but also argentina.There are also deposits of rare earth metals that pose threats to conservation of the unique ecosystems found across the continent. As with our episodes talking about india and indonesia, here we can see a lot of potential for fast change, and also the temptation to continue with mass petrol extraction at the cost of regional and global health https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/hydropower-generation https://www.hydropower.org/publications/2025-world-hydropower-outlook https://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/21/south-america-sets-historic-benchmark-zero-new-coal-plants-planned/ https://info.emis.com/hubfs/EMIS%20Reports/EMIS%20Insights%20-%20Latin%20America%20Renewable%20Energy%20Sector%20Report%202025-2026.pdf Ai overview: Hydropower production varies significantly by continent, with Asia leading in capacity, primarily due to China's extensive hydropower projects. North America and South America also contribute significantly, with countries like the United States and Brazil having substantial hydropower resources. Total Hydropower Production by Continent Hydropower is a significant source of renewable energy worldwide. Below is a breakdown of hydropower production by continent, highlighting the contribution of each region. Hydropower Production Overview Continent Hydropower Production (TWh) Percentage of Total Electricity Generation Asia 4,000 30% North America 1,000 15% South America 1,200 60% Europe 1,200 15% Africa 300 20% Oceania 100 10% Key Insights Asia: The largest producer, with China leading globally in hydropower capacity. North America: Significant contributions from the United States and Canada. South America: High reliance on hydropower, especially in Brazil and Paraguay. Europe: Notable production, with countries like Norway and Sweden heavily utilizing hydropower. Africa: Growing investments in hydropower, particularly in countries like Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Oceania: Limited production, with Australia and New Zealand utilizing hydropower to a lesser extent.

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