tl;dr: the threat is looming, but so is the opportunity.

In what become the ultimate “it’s possible to do well by doing good” play of all time, the “climate tech” market seems (finally) to be on the cusp of high growth.

Now, it’s possible that all of this is confirmation bias because I recently blogged about the Green Opportunity of the 2020s but the thing that really has set me off is reading The Uninhabitable Earth.

It is the most sobering assessment I’ve ever encountered about what happens if we continue along our current path of carbon consumption.

If you are looking for a wake up call (and particularly if you aren’t), it’s a book you need to read…unless you don’t care about the health and well-being of the planet over the next 80 years….and beyond.

Opportunities Emerging

The good news is that there are many people who have recognized this threat long before I have and are doing something about it.

Most notably, as the VC firm that I consistently look to for the beacon about the future, USV announced a $162 million Climate Fund to invest “in companies and projects that provide mitigation for or adaptation to the climate crisis.”

I also touched on moss.earth and recently heard about Nori, which is seeking to create a blockchain-based marketplace for carbon removal credits.

Given how fragmented the carbon credit and removal market is, based on my initial research, crypto+carbon markets is a natural fit. (Of course, I feel that way for almost everything, don’t I?)

With the new Biden administration, the reentry to the Paris Accords (skeptical that I am that any country will actually meet the targets), and the previous talk about a “Green New Deal,” it feels like a lot of green wind is lining up behind the “Green” sails.

Much of it will end up in failure…which is fine. Some will be lost to graft and corruption…which is to be expected, even if it’s sad.

But I can feel myself starting to get radicalized about environmental issues. Selfishly, I’m thinking about my kids’ future, but that’s as good a motivation as there is.

If you are looking to start your journey in understanding some of the challenges and some of the solutions, you can begin with this primer on Carbon Dioxide Removal.