>Despite the falling costs and growing market share of renewable energies, they still lack the killer app: a price on carbon emissions that would expose the frequently hidden costs of fossil fuels. Conventional wisdom holds that Americans, especially, wouldn’t stand for that.

This is why I desperately want a carbon tax above all else. Price in the externalities, to accelerate existing trends in the energy replacement cycle.

I don’t think government can magic a solution into existence (thought basic r snd d funding helps), but it is well within government power to price externalities. We can even lower other taxes that have negative effects but are currently needed for revenue.

We may or may not make it, but such a tax will help speed all of our efforts by growing the reward for non-carbon energy.