The first graph actually IS bad news. Look at that plot. Investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure isn't decreasing. We're not getting a transition from fossil fuels to renewables. We're getting a world of fossil fuels AND renewables.

This is the crucial failure of relying on market forces to power the energy transition. Capitalism is good at nothing if not finding and exploiting useful resources, and there are no more useful resources than energy. As long as fossil fuels are still available, someone WILL find a use for them. And ultimately only ending fossil fuel use will help the climate. The number of solar panels and wind turbines we build is irrelevant to the climate. All that matters is how much carbon we emit into the atmosphere.

Now, there is one silver lining to this. Eventually we are going to have to outright ban fossil fuels extraction. We may even have to use military force to end fossil fuel extraction. And that only becomes possible if fossil fuels represent a small portion of our overall energy mix. Banning fossil fuels isn't possible when they represent the majority of our energy use. But if they represent just 10%, then we'll be in a position to finally just straight-up make it illegal to drill for oil.

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