The Migration to Renewable Energy Isn’t All Smooth Sailing
A reader asks re: my post on the good news in renewables: Lots of recent progress with solar but what about that setback in your California backyard that involved a fire in the big tower of power? What went wrong besides too many government subsidies for this project? Who stands to lose besides the taxpayers?
IMO, the answer is easy: All 7.3 billion of us stand to lose big if we interpret isolated points of failure in clean energy as proof that the migration away from fossil fuels can’t work.
It’s the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who reminded us that “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” And who wouldn’t be enthusiastic about the prospects for a sustainable civilization, given progress like that covered in these three news items?
When you hear about the Internet Of Things, or IoT as it’s commonly abbreviated, it’s usually with regard to convenience and knowledge. We’re using advanced exercise trackers to gain better understandings of our own fitness, integrating with cloud technologies to share data and communications, and exploiting all kinds of other ways in which interconnected devices can improve our lives. But one of the most remarkable things about the growing IoT goes beyond basic everyday benefits: the more connected our “things” become, the more we seem to find new ways to conserve energy and protect the environment. 
On the occasion of Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday, I offer this line from his iconic “Like a Rolling Stone”: When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
My old school chum Craig McManus, now a noted professional in the solar PV space, sent me this article, explaining how 
Reflecting on the pleasant hours I spent last night listening to music with friends, the most gratifying part of the whole moment was exploring some of today’s popular music in an attempt to understand what makes it, in fact, popular. The main takeaway: despite appearances, very little has changed over the years. Today’s top music superstars still have an uncanny way of tapping into the hearts of their audience and the spirit of the day, and interpreting the thrills and dreams of modern-day living, as well as its pressures and heartbreaks. 
Here’s an article that will upset its reader: Humans Are Damaging the Environment Faster Than It Can Recover. The author takes into account a wide variety of human activities, e.g., increasing consumption, urbanization, and over-population, and then discusses the environmental consequences, e.g., climate change, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, water shortages, and desertification of farm land. The conclusion: radical action is required to avert catastrophe. 
The migration to renewable energy is happening far faster than most people realize, and, to those who somehow can’t see this, I normally suggest simply walking outside and looking around. Of course, that’s a bit glib; what can most people see in their neighborhoods, other than a bit of PV on people’s roofs?
It will be seven years this summer that we’ve been covering the 
