ABSTRACT Recent news reports have focused on the so-called collapse of coal, which indeed is in free-fall in many nations. And it’s not limited to the news media; an International Energy Agency report said “… Only renewables are holding up during the previously unheard-of slump in electricity use.” Coal use is down to record low-levels in the United States. This decrease is also underway for oil and natural gas. Meanwhile, new solar and wind projects are up 4 percent since the start of the year, and the most affordable projects worldwide over the past three years have all been renewable energy installations. These cost trends, and the slow-down in demand for fossil-fuels that came with the COVID-19-induced recession tipped the balance in favor of clean, renewable energy – at least temporarily. But from here on in, much depends on what we do next: How will we respond to this accidental and costly emergency? Will we double-down on pollution and the racial injustices that are inherent with the use of fossil fuels? Or will we use this hiatus to craft a new, green, and job-creating economy?

中文翻译：

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克服困难：我们是否达到了碳排放高峰？

摘要最近的新闻报道集中在所谓的煤炭崩盘上，而煤炭崩盘在许多国家的确在自由落体。而且不仅限于新闻媒体；国际能源机构（International Energy Agency）的一份报告说：“……在以前从未听说过的电力使用低迷时期，只有可再生能源在不断增加。” 美国的煤炭使用量已降至历史最低水平。石油和天然气也正在下降。同时，自今年年初以来，新的太阳能和风能项目增长了4％，过去三年中全球最便宜的项目都是可再生能源装置。这些成本趋势以及COVID-19引发的经济衰退对化石燃料需求的放缓，至少在暂时性的情况下，偏重于清洁，可再生能源。但是从这里开始，很大程度上取决于我们下一步要做的事情：我们将如何应对这种偶然而代价高昂的紧急情况？我们是否会加倍使用化石燃料所固有的污染和种族不公正现象？还是我们将利用这种中断来创造新的，绿色的，创造就业机会的经济？