Believing in the importance of aggressive action to address climate change is something of a recipe for bipolar disorder.  Trump – depression.  Biden first 90 days – elation.  News today from ClimateWire (subscription required) that power plant GHG emissions increased by more than 3% in both 2020 and 2021 – depression.

ISO New England attributes most of the increase to the shutdown of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and replacement of Pilgrim’s generation by natural gas generating facilities.  I’ll let those opposed to nuclear power ponder that tidbit.

Jurgen Weiss at Harvard Business School apparently likens our current situation to that of Sisyphus.  According to ClimateWire, Weiss said that:

You’re in a steep part of the hill, and it’s unclear if there is enough momentum to push it uphill or let the rock roll back down.  I don’t know if there is enough willingness to make those trade-offs.”

There is no happy ending to the Sisyphus story.  He was condemned to roll that damn boulder for eternity.  We are not yet condemned for eternity.  Solutions are available.  Whether we adopt them is up to us.