Jonathan Koomey
@jgkoomey.bsky.social
Climate solutions, information technology, critical thinking skills. Born at 318 ppm. https://www.koomey.com
This graph is one of the most important ones in climate science, and it explains why even modest shifts in average temperatures will lead to much greater increases in extreme weather.
November 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This graph is one of the most important ones in climate science, and it explains why even modest shifts in average temperatures will lead to much greater increases in extreme weather.
Also, our textbook gives useful context: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
November 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Also, our textbook gives useful context: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
The idea of the damage function comes from benefit-cost analysis, where economists characterize the climate problem as shown in this graph.
November 6, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The idea of the damage function comes from benefit-cost analysis, where economists characterize the climate problem as shown in this graph.
For the US, this graph is instructive (from www.eia.gov/opendata/). Primary energy/GDP fell 70% 1950 to 2024. Doesn't look constant to me.
November 3, 2025 at 9:14 PM
For the US, this graph is instructive (from www.eia.gov/opendata/). Primary energy/GDP fell 70% 1950 to 2024. Doesn't look constant to me.
Anyhow, here's our textbook: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
October 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Anyhow, here's our textbook: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
Here's that section:
![2.6 The false choice between innovation and immediate, rapid
emissions reductions
A common belief is that the US should prioritize innovation and R&D in climatefriendly
technologies over immediate emission reductions using current technology.
For example, an Atlantic article about Bill Gates’ views on climate solutions [81]
concluded:
This is the Gates Rule: If given a choice of cutting emissions directly or
reducing the cost of net-zero technology, the US should choose the latter.
Solving Climate Change
This is a false choice: we can and should do both. Cumulative emissions are what
matter to global temperatures and rapid immediate deployment reduces cumulative
emissions. Deployment is a key late-stage element of the innovation process. It
drives costs down through learning effects, scale, spillovers, and network externalities,
and creates new possibilities even without research and development. In
addition, we won’t get those cost reductions unless we deploy existing technology.
Breakthrough technologies that may result from R&D in a decade or two will not
replace the need to deploy existing technology immediately. Some or all technologies
under development may come to fruition, but they are a supplement to immediate
emissions reductions, not a replacement. There is no substitute for deploying existing
zero-emissions technology as quickly as we can.
Some potentially promising technologies are at an earlier stage of development.
Technologies with minimal societal side effects, high-emissions reduction potential,
and reasonable and declining costs are good prospects for research and development
followed as quickly as possible by prototype demonstrations and deployment. Speed
is of the essence, but some options still need time to mature, and others may never
reach the market. We should be supporting the development of promising longerterm
options aggressively even as we deploy off-the-shelf technologies at a rapid
pace. Not all technologies will make the cut.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rwflssqu5stc4abk75vvr3iy/bafkreigpeghtbuoezqid72b5mp6r2wwnwpi44zwvadvvb54ryksdrdhqdu@jpeg)
October 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Here's that section:
Your call, champ, but population rose a bit more than 3 fold by 1900 while GDP was up something more like 30 fold.
July 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Your call, champ, but population rose a bit more than 3 fold by 1900 while GDP was up something more like 30 fold.
Our textbook is another good resource: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
July 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Our textbook is another good resource: Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
June 18, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
A related graph from our 2022 textbook.
June 9, 2025 at 11:13 AM
A related graph from our 2022 textbook.
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
May 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
This one goes back to 1850. From Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
May 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This one goes back to 1850. From Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
And here's a "safer climate" case.
May 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
And here's a "safer climate" case.
Here's what the No policy case looked like circa 2010 or so.
May 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Here's what the No policy case looked like circa 2010 or so.
Picture of Trader Joe’s avocado prices in early 2025
May 5, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Picture of Trader Joe’s avocado prices in early 2025
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
April 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]
Always exciting when the true newspaper of record arrives on my doorstep.
April 26, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Always exciting when the true newspaper of record arrives on my doorstep.
Our own recent article addresses some related issues by questioning the very idea that there is a unique "optimal path" for climate. We don't think there is, and the unstated assumption that there is an optimal path is detrimental to accurate understanding of the solution space.
April 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Our own recent article addresses some related issues by questioning the very idea that there is a unique "optimal path" for climate. We don't think there is, and the unstated assumption that there is an optimal path is detrimental to accurate understanding of the solution space.
DeCanio, Stephen J. 2013. Limits of Economic and Social Knowledge. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. [https://stephendecanio.com/2017/06/30/limits-of-economic-and-social-knowledge/]
April 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
DeCanio, Stephen J. 2013. Limits of Economic and Social Knowledge. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. [https://stephendecanio.com/2017/06/30/limits-of-economic-and-social-knowledge/]
Look at Table 5 from that white paper:
April 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Look at Table 5 from that white paper:
Where you can leave a public comment to tell the powers that be how ridiculous this is that they cancelled vaccine approval meetings.
February 27, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Where you can leave a public comment to tell the powers that be how ridiculous this is that they cancelled vaccine approval meetings.
If you do own a Tesla, one thing you can do is put bumper magnets on it to express your true feelings. Here are ours:
February 25, 2025 at 3:36 PM
If you do own a Tesla, one thing you can do is put bumper magnets on it to express your true feelings. Here are ours:
Two more on order now:
February 17, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Two more on order now:
This is one of three high level messages in our textbook on climate solutions: end fossil fuels, create a climate positive biosphere, and minimize non-fossil GHGs.
February 16, 2025 at 10:18 PM
This is one of three high level messages in our textbook on climate solutions: end fossil fuels, create a climate positive biosphere, and minimize non-fossil GHGs.
Here's our first one:
February 16, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Here's our first one: