CLIMATE: 'Locked-in' Technologies Seen Undermining Emission Curbs
The world's ability to fight climate change could be thwarted by a problem few people are talking about: technology lock-in. That's the warning in a series of recent papers from university professors and a book claiming that solar, wind and energy storage may have settled too early on specific technologies and thus may not reach levels necessary to prevent catastrophic warming. It's not entirely a new idea but one that is getting renewed attention and sparking heated debate among analysts. One critic called the idea "madness," while others say policymakers need to be thinking more about it to ensure greenhouse gases stay in check.