Saying goodbye to fossil fuels

CO2 is climate enemy No. 1. The burning of coal, oil and gas produces 65 percent of all greenhouse gases. Eleven percent of CO2 emissions come from clearing forests. The main source of methane gas (16 percent) and nitrous oxide (six percent), which also contribute to global warming, is industrial farming.

If we do not change our fuel habits, the Earth will warm by 3.7 to 4.8 degrees Celsius (6.6 to 7.9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, the IPCC says. It is, however, still possible to limit the increase to 2 degrees - if we stop using fossil fuels very quickly. Climate experts say 2050 is the approximate deadline.

Electricity from solar plants is now often the cheapest form of energy. The price of plants fell by 80 percent in the past five years. Solar power can already be produced in Germany for 0.07 euros ($0.08) per kWh. And in sunnier countries, that price can fall below the five-cent mark. Solar energy is booming worldwide and costing less and less.

Wind energy is also very cheap, and here, too, there is a global boom. In Germany, wind energy produces nine percent of electricity, in Denmark almost 40 percent and in China three percent. China intends to double its production by 2020. This typical wind farm supplies enough electricity for 1,900 German households.

These days, well-insulated houses use only a small amount of energy. Solar panels on the roof are enough for electricity and heating. Some houses even produce an electricity surplus. This can be used to charge an electric car.

A major key to climate protection is energy efficiency. Good LED lighting needs only a tenth of the energy used by conventional light bulbs. That saves CO2 and money. An EU ban on incandescent bulbs gave LED technology an important boost.

Mineral oil is important for transport. But this could change, too. There are already alternatives. This public bus is fueled by hydrogen. Wind and solar electricity are used to extract hydrogen from water by means of electrolysis. Transport is then CO2-free.

Since December 2014, Toyota has been selling the first production vehicle running on hydrogen. It can fill up in a few minutes, and then drive 650 kilometers (404 miles). Experts envisage climate-friendly mobility with vehicles that use hydrogen, biogas or batteries.

This bus from Bristol in England drives on biomethane (CH4). The gas is produced from human excrement and food waste. The excrement and food scraps produced by five people in a year are enough for a bus trip of 300 kilometers (186 miles). .

Storing electricity is still expensive. But here, too, there have been rapid developments. Prices are falling and the market is booming. Electric cars are thus growing cheaper and becoming a climate-friendly alternative for more and more people.

Two billion people are still living without electricity. But as solar energy, batteries and LED lighting become cheaper, these technologies are spreading to rural areas like this one in Senegal. The LED lamps are charged at the solar kiosk. In this way, millions of people are obtaining electricity for the first time.

The climate protection movement is becoming stronger, as can be seen by this demonstration in Düsseldorf, the center of the German coal industry. Germany's energy giant Eon is switching to renewables, and investors are pulling their money out of fossil-fuel investments across the world. This will help fast action to protect the environment.