‘Here Comes the Sun’: McKibben on solar future

Environmental writer Bill McKibben advocates for solar power as climate solution in new book

By Richard Frost

The title of Bill McKibben’s new book, “Here Comes the Sun,” sounds breezy and optimistic. It’s a Beatles song, after all. But the topic couldn’t be more serious. Too many still fail to take seriously the risk to Earth from our continued addition of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.

First, the book features an instructive review of human energy use. Most of it consists of burning things, from fire, through the steam engine, and forward to the internal combustion engine and its reliance on petroleum.

Peat and coal have been around a long time, but petroleum and natural gas have only been exploited for just more than a century. Names like Watt (improvement of the steam engine, invented in 1712 to assist coal mining), Rockefeller (petroleum refining), and Bunsen (flame regulation for natural gas) dot the story.

Without question, this evolution of energy use has improved standards of living immeasurably. But now it’s time to deal with unforeseen consequences. These include accumulation of carbon dioxide and methane, so-called greenhouse gases, responsible for warming of the planet.

RELATED READING: Where does the climate movement go from here? An interview with Bill McKibben

There was carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before the industrial era; most of it came from volcanoes. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere wasn’t measured until 1958. Only in 1988 did the concept of global warming become mentioned as an issue. Impacts of warming on Earth’s systems—ice shelf melting, change in Gulf Stream flow, permafrost melting, wildfires, and more—are still being gleaned.

On Aug. 22, join the Explorer and McKibbon at The Wild Center  for a reading and discussion of his new book, Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for Climate and Fresh Chance for Civilization.

Making the case for solar

A main thrust of the book is that our habits of burning to produce energy need to change. Solar and wind sources offer efficient alternatives, turning more energy into motion and usable work, and less into heat.

Alternative strategies weren’t entirely absent. In 1891, 1,000 mirrors powered a solar pump to water a Pasadena farm. As automobiles became available, early options included electric and steam versions as well as gasoline power. Oil and gas were too cheap to ignore, and they became pre-eminent.

In 1954 came the discovery of photovoltaic energy at Bell Laboratories, already notable as progenitor of the transistor (remember all those radios we once carried around?). Engineers found that light focused on various metals could generate an electric current, enough to power such modest projects as a toy Ferris wheel and small radios. More practical applications developed slowly.

Fast forward. McKibben reports that 92% of new electricity generated globally in 2024 came from solar energy; the figure rises to 96% for the United States. McKibben argues this is in everyone’s best interest. Decreased production of carbon dioxide and methane, thus stabilizing the already entrenched warming of the planet, should be justification enough. He predicts ultimately solar and wind energy will also become the least expensive options. All of us will save money.

China has clearly seen the potential for these new energy sources. That country manufactures more than 70 billion solar cells a year. Some see their primacy in production of solar and wind equipment as a means of giving them international leadership on climate concerns. Germany has been a major solar adopter. Even in struggling Pakistan, more than a third of the electric grid is solar-powered.

Related reading: Big solar: Your questions answered

Resistance to change

Do I think fossil fuels will disappear anytime soon? Absolutely not. Our thirst for energy appears inexhaustible. We’re not going to live more modestly. Advances like artificial intelligence add to energy requirements. Options that won’t negatively impact climate and other environmental factors will become critical regardless of how much oil and natural gas gets pulled out of the ground.

There are obstacles. No paradigm change comes without resistance. I’m reminded how hard sanitariums campaigned against reliance on drugs when effective treatment for tuberculosis first became available. Those benefiting from the status quo—certainly the fossil fuel industry but also some utility companies—will offer arguments and distractions. Vested interests don’t give ground easily.

There will be cost issues, notably infrastructure investment and improved connections to the overall electric grid. Better batteries for storage are crucial. Mind-sets more receptive to the efficiencies of, say, electric vehicles and heat pumps, will further progress.

Meanwhile, technology will provide new solutions. Maybe we’ll find ways to recycle rare earth elements, or even obviate their need. Regulatory relief and better collaboration with utilities will make hooking to electric grids smoother. Manufacturing advances will continue to lower prices of solar cells, batteries, and wind turbines.

I’d be surprised if companies like BP and Exxon aren’t already investigating how they can be involved in harvesting new approaches. Successful companies don’t prosper indefinitely without grasping what might come next.

Will the book change anyone’s mind?

The author manages to stay modestly optimistic despite today’s overly polarized politics. I’m not sure he’s still as upbeat after several months of the new administration in Washington. For those concerned, his book will provide crucial background information as debates on policy continue.

McKibben’s depth of knowledge on energy and climate issues shines through on every page. He makes concepts clear for nonscientists. If the nation does return to rational discourse on what are now partisan topics, I’d want him to be there clarifying arguments. He understands it’s not a matter of winning or losing, it’s a matter of what’s best for society—and the world—at large.

And he’s a realist. His goal has become “not to stop global warming (too late for that) but perhaps to stop it short of the place where it makes civilization impossible.”

A final consideration: Will this book represent merely one more example of preaching to the choir? Hopefully not. Granted, some editing of critical comments about the current administration might make the book more palatable to skeptics.

I dream of sitting down with people opposed to some of my views and agreeing we’ll each read a book of the other’s choice and then have constructive discussion. Growing up I thought that’s how society should work. McKibben’s clarity and logic would make this an ideal selection for such an exercise. All of us can learn from “Here Comes the Sun.”