The 2008 economic crisis changed the US's relationship with energy
The article explores how the 2008 economic crisis served as a turning point for the US to begin decoupling GDP growth from carbon emissions. It highlights the shift toward more sustainable energy practices while maintaining economic expansion.
Why it matters
Understanding the historical decoupling of growth and emissions is essential for evaluating the feasibility of net-zero goals without sacrificing economic stability.
Scissors, revisited The 2008 economic crisis changed the US’s relationship with energy It wasn’t obvious at the time, but the US uncoupled carbon emissions and GDP growth.
18 Credit: Ryan J Lane Credit: Ryan J Lane Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav One argument that often comes up about climate change is that fossil fuels are good because they powered economic growth that has left most people better off overall. And, to an extent, that has been true, but it’s also an extremely limited perspective.
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