Grist climate and energy blogger David Roberts is about to return from a year-long sabbatical. So it’s the perfect time to revisit the top 10 posts from his 10 years of writing for Grist.
• The medium chill. Roberts describes his efforts to step off the “aspirational treadmill” and accept some material constraints in exchange for a life with more free time, relationships, and experiences. This is the post that ultimately led him to take a year off.
• Climate change is simple: We do something or we’re screwed. This is Roberts’ much-loved TEDx talk, with extra insights sprinkled on top.
• The left’s gone left but the right’s gone nuts: Asymmetrical polarization in action. Political polarization has risen sharply in recent years, Roberts writes, but Republicans have moved further to the right than Democrats have moved to the left.
• Solar panels could destroy U.S. utilities, according to U.S. utilities. This popular post led to a series that’s a lot more exciting than it sounds: Utilities for dummies.
• Climate analysts are from Mars, climate activists are from Venus … but they both live on Earth. Is Keystone XL a smart issue for campaigners to focus on? Roberts weighs in. And he later follows up with: The virtues of being unreasonable on Keystone and What should the climate movement do next?
• Post-truth politics. Republicans have realized that their rhetoric doesn’t have to bear any connection to their policy agenda, Roberts says, and that makes it really hard to have sane conversations about issues, let alone craft good policy.
• Discount rates: A boring thing you should know about (with otters!). A dry, complex topic is explained with help from wet, cute critters.
• Everything you always wanted to know about EPA greenhouse gas regulations, but were afraid to ask. Another dry, complex topic, this time explained with dry, cute critters (bunnies!).
• The brutal logic of climate change. Wherein Roberts lays it out like it is. And don’t miss the follow-ups: The brutal logic of climate change mitigation and ‘Brutal logic’ and climate communications.
• Hope and fellowship. Is there any hope? Or are we just f*cked? Roberts is less cynical and more hopeful than you might think.
Did we miss your favorite? Call us out for any omissions in comments below.
