Critical Times

A new post from Cory Doctorow (inspired by a new post by Rebecca Solnit) argues that President Trump’s inability to think (strategically) is accelerating the transition to renewable energy. By jacking up oil and gas prices, and choking the supply of these and related products like jet fuel, his stupid impulsive war with Iran is turned the energy transition into not only a question of what’s good for the planet but also a question of national energy security. Renewable energy has its own supply problems, but nothing like those of oil and gas. At the same time, the first Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels conference in Columbia has brought together a coalition of the nations willing to actually plan how to phase out fossil fuels, thus avoiding the stalemate of the UN COP process. With any luck, Trump’s Republicans will pay the price for his stupidity in the elections in November and Trump will find his room for manoeuvre significantly limited.