Treasure Island

As tradition has it, I was woken up by the foghorn echoing across the Bay. Despite the mist, the critical junctures of history were readily visible this morning.

Brexit became a reality, adding to the sense of shattered dreams. Yesterday, here at the Breakthrough Dialogue, Samir Saran expressed the same concerns over climate justice that I am voicing in my upcoming article in Globalizations about how sustained poverty abroad has become the de facto preferred climate mitigation strategy of rich countries. Considering the crucial role of energy in making broad social transformations possible, Samir’s suggestion that the rich world should “close a coal plant for every one we [in India] open, when we have the same number, we'll do it together” points to what real climate justice would look like, in particular if paired with breakthrough innovation that would enable a clean high-energy future for all.