Get Energy Smart! NOW!

A simple truth — only dupes and villains can deny that we face very serious risks and consequences from climate change.

The key hope, however, is that we (writ large) still have some potential to control how bad the situation will become and opportunities to seize value streams along the path toward climate change mitigation and adaptation.

That there might be silver linings amid climate change’s looming dark clouds does not create a ‘good’ Anthropocene even as we might seek to find better framing and language than “less catastrophic Anthropocene”.

There are a number of basic key framings, which are well captured by the “Responsibility. Patriotic Pride. Accountability” guidance for American politicians.

• Responsibility:  We face a serious situation. We — collectively and as individuals — are responsible for creating the problem(s) and must take responsibility for helping solve them.
• Patriotic Pride:  We have solved serious problems in the past and have the capacity to do so moving into the future.
• Accountability:  While we must recognize that we, individually, have responsibility, there are institutions and people who have much more serious claim to responsibility for creating our problems and for inhibiting action.  We must communicate, clearly, who these are and determine ways to hold them to account for their actions.

Within this, a central point is that meaningful and valuable action is possible — that there is a serious difference (for the better) between “business as unusual Anthropocene” and a “less-bad Anthropocne” due to serious climate mitigation and climate adaptation measures.

And, a simple truth underpinning this — we already have valuable opportunities for action and are seeing serious progress.

After the fold is an infographic from The Climate Group laying out “10 smart reasons to invest in a clean revolution”.  Putting aside the unmentioned one, that reducing the risks of utterly catastrophic climate change would create an imperative for action anyway, these 10 are interesting to consider.

For example, you have all likely seen the graphics about the drastic reductions in solar prices.  Think about this one:

“the cost of LED lighting in the United States has dropped 70 percent since 2009 and deployment has increased by 50x”

A 70 percent price drop in five years!

A fifty-fold increase in deployment!

The CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) for LED lighting is over 400 percent (see slide 6).

Over 400 percent!

It is pretty rare to see CAGR of that enormity for a basic household item.   That seems more like fad (Chia pet, anyone) CAGR material.

An acquaintance of mine’s business supports lighting in the building sector. Several years ago, I spoke extensively with him about the value streams of making LEDs central to his business activities.  He, not that many years ago, simply did not see a pull from the market for LEDs and — while valuing the learning / discussions — did not see the financial ROI for an LED-focused business strategy.  Now?  The vast majority of his business is LEDs and, increasingly, other lighting options aren’t even in the discussions with their clients.

Between LEDs and compact fluorescent bulbs, lighting in American households has fallen dramatically as a percentage of home energy use.

And, as a reason for optimism, solar and LED are not oddities in terms of rapid change in the clean energy sector.

Again, see after the fold for an interesting infographic …