Now is the time to think big and deal with #ClimateChange.
One thing that hobbles the efforts to transform our societies is the belief that our productive capabilities are narrowly limited: that producing more wind turbines mean less consumer goods.
What if this is not true?
One thing that hobbles the efforts to transform our societies is the belief that our productive capabilities are narrowly limited: that producing more wind turbines mean less consumer goods.
What if this is not true?
What if we can actually _increase_ the production of sustainable infrastructure without major impacts in the production of consumer and investment goods?
This is exactly like what was actually achieved in the U.S. industrial mobilization for the Second World War.
This is exactly like what was actually achieved in the U.S. industrial mobilization for the Second World War.
As can be seen in this chart, from an upcoming paper by @JWMason1 and @pigphilosophy , the U.S. war production increased substantially - enough to bury the Axis under a tide of steel and aluminium- with very little impact to civilian consumption. (See: ) 
What happened?
The government happened.
The government planned, directed, and funded a construction project on an unimaginable scale.
Incidentally, this project also meant employment for hundreds of thousands who were still out of work following the Great Depression.
The government happened.
The government planned, directed, and funded a construction project on an unimaginable scale.
Incidentally, this project also meant employment for hundreds of thousands who were still out of work following the Great Depression.
The results for the U.S. were almost entirely positive. They won the war while redistributing the wealth far more equally. Millions were lifted from poverty or precarious situations into prosperity and security. The economy boomed and businesses prospered.
We could do precisely the same thing with climate change. This would be the golden opportunity to do it, as the world teeters on a brink of economic cataclysm.
We could defeat climate change and create prosperous societies, simultaneously. No law of nature is stopping us.
We could defeat climate change and create prosperous societies, simultaneously. No law of nature is stopping us.
All we need is a decision. We need it to be a regional decision at least; the U.S., China, or the European Union alone would be large enough players to execute this.
But once one of them starts moving, the rest will inevitably have to follow.
Why?
But once one of them starts moving, the rest will inevitably have to follow.
Why?
Because once one region gets going and starts replacing the aging fossil fuel based infrastructure with a clean one, it will rapidly gain in competitiveness. This is an eminently feasible projection of the costs of wind energy. It could be delivered for as little as 10 €/MWh.
We know very well what mass production does to the cost of manufactured products. The more we produce, the cheaper the products will be, because workers become more skilled and it's profitable to install more and larger machines to do the job.
And _all_ energy intensive industries will want to be where clean electricity can be had for 10 €/MWh.
Everyone will want to be where a new society is being built.
Because it will mean jobs, profit, security. A future.
Everyone will want to be where a new society is being built.
Because it will mean jobs, profit, security. A future.
So what will happen, eventually, is that one region decides "screw this" and goes all in to transform to a sustainable society. Hopefully, it will happen before too many disasters like the current pandemic.
And after that, other regions will follow.
And after that, other regions will follow.
