1. I'm listening to a presentation on this big new report from the National Academies on decarbonizing the US by 2050, focused on policy recommendations. Worth checking out the whole thing, but I just want to emphasize one point. https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2021/02/new-report-charts-path-to-net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2050-recommends-near-term-policies-to-ensure-fair-and-equitable-economic-transition-and-revitalization-of-manufacturing-industry

2. There are lots of disputes & open questions about how to get from, say, 70/80 percent decarbonized to 100%. How much nuclear or CCS will be needed? Hydrogen something? Bioenergy something? Plenty of open tech questions that need to be settled by R&D, etc.

HOWEVER.

3. There is, as Steve Pacala said in his intro, an "island of certainty," which is to say, ALL the models, ALL the different plans & approaches, agree that ***for the next 10 years, the top priority is clean electrification using wind, solar, & batteries***.

4. Maybe you think small nuclear will come save the day. Maybe you think massive direct air capture of CO2 will be necessary. Maybe you think transmission + efficiency will eliminate the need for nuclear. Whatever. No matter where you come out on all those questions ...

5. ... the next 10 years involve a crash program of scaling up clean electrification. There's no way around it, no way to solve the problem without it. All the models & experts agree.

So, l mean, can we just fucking do it? </fin>