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Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions

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Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions

The Iran War, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Real Cost of Fossil Dependence

March 20, 2026 • Tom Raftery • Season 1 • Episode 265

0:00 | 13:56

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War doesn’t just kill people. It also blows up energy security, drives up emissions, and exposes fossil fuels for the liability they’ve always been.

In this first Climate Confident+ bonus episode, available exclusively to subscribers, I unpack the unnecessary, illegal, and profoundly ill-advised war being waged by the US and Israel on Iran, and why its fallout matters far beyond the battlefield. This is not just a military crisis. It is an energy transition, climate tech, decarbonisation, and policy story with real consequences for emissions reduction, net zero, inflation, and industrial resilience. In this episode, I look at how attacks on energy infrastructure and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have once again exposed the fragility of fossil-fuelled “energy security”.

You’ll hear why fossil dependence is no longer a security strategy, but geopolitical exposure. I dig into how roughly $88.7bn was burned in the first 17 days of the conflict, and why the Pentagon’s reported $200bn request to Congress shows just how grotesque the opportunity cost has become. We also dig into the emissions impact, including how gas shortages in India are already pushing parts of the economy back towards coal, kerosene, and biomass. And crucially, I lay out why electrification, renewables, storage, and stronger grids are now central to real energy security.

Climate Confident+ is just €5, and gives you regular access to in-depth, timely analysis like this.

🎙️ Subscribe and listen now to hear why the clean energy transition is no longer just a climate imperative, but a resilience strategy.

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