Climate Justice Is Possible—Just Look Beyond Technology

Squinting through some techno-optimistic augmented reality goggles, one could conclude that the battle with climate change is going well. Solar panels and wind turbine are cheap and powerful, making them a good alternative to dirtier energy sources. Cement and steel-making are the most energy intensive parts of society. The process of decarbonization isn't moving quickly enough.

There are broken supply chains, fossil fuel subsidies, export taxes and lack of expert labor when talking with a solar developer. They will talk to you about land use and how hard it is to get permits to build wells and panels to generate clean power.

The US Senate has debated reforms in recent weeks. The negotiations quickly showed the tradeoffs involved in any climate policy. It's a good thing that there are more panels. The need for systemic change should be balanced against threats to wildlife and communities who live there. Some in Congress still hope that regulatory speed-ups will increase fossil fuel infrastructure. The weight of those questions made permitting reform impossible.

In San Francisco, those same debates were featured at Re:WIRED Green, a one-day event featuring scientists, entrepreneurs, and artists. You have the technology that can help. The work was great. How are you going to implement the social and political change? What will the benefits look like in a way that works for everyone?

Some people try to change things from the ground up. The Fixit Clinic teaches people how to fix their own devices. It helps the climate by reducing waste and demand for new products. There are a lot of devices that can't be fixed due to things like packaging. Basically capitalism. Mui fights back in small ways,figuring out how to repair or hack the nuts and bolts of complex hardware, and advocating for those roadblock to be removed. He wants to bring about an alternative future where most of the things we consume are built locally.