Talking with David Roberts
Climate, energy, and America left behind
I’ve been reading David Roberts on energy and climate for years, first at Grist, then at Vox, now at Volts, his Substack. Now we’re in a war-generated energy crisis, with many people reconsidering the energy future, and I thought a conversation about energy policy, technology, and America as possibly the last petrostate would be v...
The strongest version of this narrative presents a compelling case for the inevitability of clean energy transitions, driven by technological progress, economic efficiency, and geopolitical competition. Roberts and Krugman effectively highlight the U.S.'s precarious position as a petrostate clinging to fossil fuels while China and other nations accelerate toward electrification. The discussion credibly frames clean energy as a multi-faceted solution—addressing climate change, public health, and ...