#CauseForOptimism: Renewables Rock!

I can't deny that the environmental actions of the current U.S. administration -- and the President's highly publicized withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord -- have demoralized me quite a bit. As an "eco-fiction" author, it's hard to find a silver lining in this particular dark cloud. Given the recent spate of devastating hurricanes and wildfires that have wreaked havoc in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and California, the USA is reeling... but our federal leaders still seem determined to ignore the evidence of catastrophic climate change.

Luckily, scientific groups and American business interests aren't as intent on jamming their heads into the (tar-) sand.

The first national-level, integrated assessment of the future costs and benefits of existing and expanded renewable portfolio standards (RPS) policies was just published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. And it clearly establishes that -- when it comes to energy policy -- good environmental practices are good for business.

This assessment projects that our nation will save hundreds of billions of dollars in net costs by pursuing renewable energy alternatives. So this approach doesn't just benefit the environment: it benefits our economy, our collective health, and the future prognosis for our planet. That's what I call a win-win-win proposition!

This, I think, is our inevitable path to a more sustainable energy future. We're reaching the point where the financial math pushes business leaders to do the right thing, regardless of their political views. That, in the end, is the way we all win.

So don't get discouraged, climate-fiction / eco-fiction fans. It seems more and more plausible that our collective story will have a happy ending!