Promises of addressing our nation’s energy system and impact have been emerging for months from Biden’s team. Does this mean we will finally begin writing cohesive and responsible national energy policy?

The virus brought nations of industry to their knees in weeks, and with the swift drop in manufacturing, so too dropped air pollution. Quite suddenly, we as a class, and as a planet were witnessing an absolute about-face in emissions. Pandemics were never listed on any emissions reductions simulations that I used, though that will now surely change.

We need to adapt to climate change, right? And if we hope to adapt, wouldn’t it be nice to know where we are coming from? Let’s briefly review a few of the basics of energy in our daily lives. I have laid out three main points of the energy system we have today, as well as three exciting expansions of those ideas.