“Climate change will remain an important yet insoluble issue.  Even major legislation (which seems unlikely) would not change this much, not for a long time at least.”

Not wrong!

Sure, declare a climate emergency, give these people what they're asking for.

Excellent read as always 👇

The fact that we're debating the load growth implications of data centers—as opposed to EVs or green hydrogen or electric heating—suggests to me that the push to⚡️electrify everything⚡️ is not proceeding apace.

'Natural gas’s enduring contribution to electricity generation does not make it 'a bridge to nowhere.''

My latest Breakthrough w/ Jonah Messinger:

thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/…

New piece w/ Alex Trembath for Breakthrough

“the gas bridge has to end at some point… But the evidence for years has consistently indicated that fugitive methane does not cancel out the emissions benefits of switching from coal to natural gas.”

thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/…

'The challenge for all of us, in the progress and abundance movements...is to recognize that political critique and commentary bring with them a responsibility, ultimately, to act in the world.'

via Ted Nordhaus Alex Smith and myself:

thebreakthrough.org/journal/no-20-…

'This analysis lends weight to the common-sense view that the priority of health and mental health systems should be high quality health care, not climate change action...Climate change action appears unlikely to have a measurable impact on suicide...'
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…

'Crazy is asymmetrical. The bar for those defending functional institutions, effective government, and wise policy is unavoidably higher than for those intent on undermining them.' Me, Alex Trembath, Alex Smith introducing new Breakthrough Journal on Substack. thebreakthroughjournal.substack.com/p/reconstructi…

Good piece by François.

The argument applies equally to the hundreds (!) of US climate lawsuits, in which the plaintiffs—mainly NGO-backed judicial activists and opportunistic attorneys general—are transparently seeking a backdoor around legislative solutions.

Fugitive methane emissions from natural gas production are a problem, but they do not cancel out the emissions benefits of switching from coal to gas.

For @thebti, Alex Trembath and Jonah Messinger break down why: thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/…

“Sweeping and misleading characterizations of the warming potential of coal versus natural gas combustion do not advance efforts to better track, or reduce, methane emissions.”

Latest from me and ⁦Jonah Messinger⁩ ⁦Breakthrough⁩: thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/…

“The most popular position is the second, all-of-the above approach that emphasizes energy abundance and the use of fossil fuels and renewables and nuclear, favored by 48 percent of Millennial/Gen Z voters.” liberalpatriot.com/p/why-democrat…

“Since President Carter, Democratic presidents have declared 37 national emergencies and Republican presidents declared 32…To date, President Biden has declared eight national emergencies.” rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/the-politics…

“There are plenty of local vulnerability emergencies, and humans have a blind spot for a host of existential risks, but there is no climate emergency.”

via ⁦Andrew Revkin 🌎 ✍🏼 🪕 ☮️⁩ revkin.substack.com/cp/143694083

'I know many people on the left who think Marx was right about capitalism’s contradictions; I know many fewer who share his expectation that the dialectic will yield a worker’s paradise.'

via Ross Douthat:

nytimes.com/2024/04/06/opi…

'Progress, Rediscovered' in reason where I report on the new and growing progress movement reason.com/2024/04/06/pro… that actually advocates for technological, scientific, and industrial progress and economic growth. Institute for Progress Works in Progress Human Progress The Progress Network Breakthrough

We are excited to be joining the many great voices on Substack today that have inspired this move: The Honest Broker Jason Crawford Robert Bryce Yascha Mounk The Liberal Patriot Jennifer Pahlka Todd Moss Institute for Progress Matthew Nisbet https://mattnisbet.substack.com/ James Pethokoukis ⏩️⤴️ to name just a few.

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Hmm.

thenation.com/article/activi…