Shutting Down Coal

Last month, Austria and then Sweden closed down their last coal-fired power stations. They are the second and third countries to go coal-free in Europe; Belgium did so in 2016.

Even with virtually zero contribution from the U.S., human civilization is rapidly decarbonizing its energy generation.  If we can somehow add advanced nuclear, this game will be over.  At that point, we can turn our attention to land use, which is the other main challenge when it comes to climate change mitigation and other forms of ecological damage.

In the meanwhile, let’s celebrate little victories, and praise the heroic efforts of these small European nations.