I've long felt that innovation and technology would play a major role in solving the climate crisis. This book shows many ways in which the tide is turning, with technological breakthroughs that are in fact gaining significant ground towards a net zero carbon producing world (and possible even a net negative carbon producing world).
Rathi underscores that climate solutions and capitalism are not at odds, but that we in fact need the forces of capitalism to overcome the crisis.
He cites numerous examples where people, companies, technologies and governments are coming together to invent radical solutions to the climate crisis.
The profit motive brings massive impetus, both in terms of finding new solutions, but also helping these solutions to scale. Pairing capitalism with the equally powerful force of public spending creates a one, two punch that we need to solve the crisis.
The book brings real hope to the desperate crisis, with an evidence-based storyline that I choose to believe.
A noteworthy quote:
"For every unit of energy an EV consumes, it can go three times the distance of a similar diesel-powered car. That happens because most of the energy produced when burning fossil fuels is lost as heat, and only a fraction is converted to motion. Electric motors convert more than 90% of the energy stored in batteries into motion. At such an efficiency, EVs produce fewer CO2 emissions than their fossil fuel alternative, even if the electricity they consume comes from a 100% coal-powered grid."
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