Limits on climate doomerism

America is not the center of the climate universe, for good or ill

‘Tis the season. I wrote up a brief collection of thoughts about what the Trump election means for the global climate for Good Authority. Go read it!

https://goodauthority.org/news/trumps-election-will-likely-reverse-us-climate-action/

Those of you who read this newsletter know that I’ve been thinking and writing about China’s decarbonization for a couple of years now. And, as an academic, there’s always been a book planned.

One version of this planning had me trying to race to finish a book so that it could be published or available for purchase on a day like today. Something to assuage complete doomerism on climate because America has failed in its climate leadership. Something that pushes back on the idea that China is the simple climate villain, and Trump is right to not care because China’s still building coal plants. Something that does more, though, than simply talk up China’s accomplishments and pass the mantle onto Xi Jinping. Something that presents a nuanced view of what is happening in China, what isn’t, and why. Something that pushes back on the idea that authoritarianism is needed to solve the climate crisis because democracy is failing. Something that shows that politics is everywhere and inescapable. That dictatorships have politics too.

I have not yet finished that book, but my promise to you, dear readers, is that I will. And soon.

All the best and in solidarity,

Jeremy