Social idealism – quite rightly – funded early renewable energy efforts, but it is economics that will save the planet. See the link in comments for an example. The only road to macro social change – other than bloodshed – is profitability. Whatever we engineer needs to make people better off financially as well as environmentally.
I’m not saying this as a conservative opinion. Those who know me know I am socialist. I’m saying it as an observation of a reality of social dynamics.
Idealism is great for exploration, experiment, engaging early adopters, all that. But it is pragmatism that will save the planet. Idealogues can get in the way, and rapidly become part of the problem not the solution. See the absurd early shutdown of German nukes; or demands for vegetarianism; or the anti GMO movement. And most of all, resistance to geo-engineering.
This post is about work. It’s at work that we create the change. Early on, we push ideology, e.g. ESG concerns. Then, as we cross the chasm to majority change, we must switch to pushing practical pragmatic profitability. Show me the money.