Breaking Down: Collapse

Am I alone in imagining a better future? A whole bunch of data says no:

Support for changing the current economic system | Pew Research Center
Americans stand out internationally for their pessimism about the nation’s political system | Pew Research Center
AP-NORC America 250 Poll - AP-NORC
Harvard Youth Poll Finds a Generation Under Pressure — and Losing Faith in the System | The Institute of Politics at Harvard University
51st Edition - Fall 2025 | The Institute of Politics at Harvard University
Americans End Year in Gloomy Mood
New poll: Just 13% of youth feel America is headed in the right direction | Harvard Kennedy School
Young Voters Have Growing Power, but Broken Politics Leave Them ‘Fatalistic,’ Studies Find | Research UC Berkeley
The State of Public Trust in Government 2025 - Partnership for Public Service
New Low in U.S. 'Very Satisfied' With Personal Life
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If collapse is inevitable, is there a point to trying?

FYI the episode contains spoilers for the musical "Hadestown".

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Renewables have made massive strides in the 2020s. I answer the question that still comes up from time to time: Can a successful rollout of renewables save society from collapse?

Tracking the energy transition: Where are we now? | McKinsey
So, where exactly does the US energy transition stand? | Canary Media
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A new UN report officially announced that limiting warming to +1.5C is no longer a viable goal:

Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’ | Climate crisis | The Guardian

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Sources:

Judge Tells RFK Jr. to Stop Using Fake AI Studies on Teen Pregnancy | The New Republic
Judge Rules Trump Unlawfully Targeted Stanford Students Who Criticized Israel - The New York Times
The U.S. Has Killed 227 Civilians in Boat Strikes During “A Year of Murders”
IRS Softens on Businesses in Wake of Agency Worker Exodus
Wyoming judge weighs transgender woman’s self-defense | Advocate.com
The Trump Administration is Now Claiming That Being a Trans Ally Makes You More Violent. Yes, Really.
James Talarico: "Nothing terrifies them more, than people who show up to vote...
Wyoming Governor Objects to ‘Very Odd’ D.O.J. Election Monitoring - The New York Times
ICE Plans to Pay $5 Million to Create National Voting Database | WIRED
DHS chief says ICE could make arrests at polling places — ignoring federal ban on armed agents at voting sites - Democracy Docket
Mail voting live updates: Judge weighs fate of Trump’s anti-voting executive order - Democracy Docket
ICE owes millions to hospitals and detainees can't get treatment
ICE holds man with stage 4 cancer in detention despite permanent US residency | ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) | The Guardian
'Who is Profiting from ICE?' Texas mom's site sparks secret DHS note

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