Ramez Naam: Radical planetary optimism

Climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, air pollution. We’re up against huge threats. But history and the trends of technology show that we can turn the corner. As clean energy and clean transportation plunge in price, as biotechnology revolutionizes our understanding of the natural world, and as the developing world reaches the demographic transition, a world of greater prosperity with less impact on the planet becomes possible. Make no mistake: The state of the environment will get worse before it gets better.