Analysis

In order to convince readers that there is light at the end of the tunnel, Klein focuses on successes and new ways of approaching the governing and control of energy systems in Chapter Three. The author provides an example of a very successful program in Hamburg, Germany, a township that used a process called re-municipalization. The town decided to take its energy system back from a private company. By doing so they had a voice in their energy system and they could be part of Germany’s transition to green that the nation was making great strides to achieve.

The author provides this case to demonstrate that when people get together on a grass roots level, they can take climate action and create systems that work the best for them. Taking the profit out of the process makes things less complex. The author points out that private sector energy companies often use their profits to lobby against emissions reduction instead of conducting promised research for renewable solutions. The private sector wants to maintain the status quo while communities want to develop energy systems that work for them and answer their needs.

To reach readers on another level, the author discusses how much more the economy loses by not taking steps to turn the tide of climate change. Storms have become more devastating as a result of global warming that was caused by greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere. Super Storm Sandy cost the economy $65 billion. Katrina caused economic and social devastation that the nation is still recovering from. Spending resources to lessen the threat of such devastating weather events would in the long run save money and resources a scenario that appeals to conservatives who always want to cut costs to taxpayers. The entire nation and the world has lived through recent disasters – Klein is using something everyone is familiar with to make her point about the urgency of keeping things from getting even worse.