Vladimir Lenin once defined communism as “Soviet power plus electrification of the whole country”. His words may strike a chord with today’s green rebels who see clean energy as a force for transformative change. Yet these revolutionaries have yet to see their revolution. Last year was the hottest in recorded history and, most likely, in the last 100,000 years. While renewable energy is booming, it’s not growing fast enough to prevent climate breakdown.
The reasons for this, and what can be done about it, are explored by Brett Christophers, a professor of economic geography at Uppsala University in Sweden. Christophers has made his name through a series of books that attempt to expose capitalism’s grubby secrets, such as last year’s Our Lives in Their Portfolios about the asset management industry. His aim is to make readers understand that they have been lulled into a false sense of security by an economic doctrine that promises its adherents salvation. In the same way, the Price Is Wrong rejects the orthodox reasoning that a mix of technological innovation and market wizardry will be enough to save the Earth.
