It appears Cuba has reached net-zero carbon emissions faster than any other country in the world. The transition is complete with blackouts, economic collapse, and widespread despair. Ten years ago, this is something I would have championed.
Back then I was in my 20s, working as a climate journalist and influencer. I covered pipeline protests, pushed the Green New Deal, and repeated slogans like “Just stop oil” and “Keep it in the ground.” I believed I was on the right side of history, fighting against the climate crisis, and for a more just and equitable world.
Now as I watch Cuba suffer from its lack of Venezuelan oil, and see the panic over the Strait of Hormuz, I’m reminded of the importance of oil and why despite spending trillions of dollars in an attempt to transition to renewables, oil, coal, and natural gas still produce 86 percent of the energy consumed around the world.
You might read this and think: Well, obviously fossil fuels are irreplaceable. But I can tell you from experience that is not how young people in the climate movement think.
