, Columnist
The 2010s Wrecked the Planet. Don’t Despair Yet
The power sector’s transformation is pointing the way to a less carbon-intensive future.
It’s late in the day, but there's still hope of reining in humanity's carbon addiction.
Photographer: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images
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The past decade hasn’t done much to inspire optimism about the future of the planet.
Emissions from burning fossil fuels and land-use changes since the start of 2010 have been equivalent to about 407 billion tons of carbon dioxide. About one-sixth of all carbon emissions in human history happened in the past decade alone.