The small pale-blue planet, 3rd most distant from its sun, glides soundlessly in its orbit.  Its unsuspecting inhabitants innocently carry on with preparations for their mid-winter holiday celebrations.  Meanwhile, hovering high above in the atmosphere the evil entity, Destructo, plots his dastardly schemes.
 
        “Nya-a-ah let’s see what kind of destruction I can unleash on these unwary fools,” he slavers.  “A month ago it was 2 feet of rain in 48 hrs. in Louisiana and last week devastating fires in the Smoky Mountains.  You bet your sweet booty they’re smoky now!  Nya-a-ah!”
 
        Destructo’s powers to destroy have intensified dramatically in recent decades.   In the ‘80s the U.S. averaged just 2 disasters a year that cost a billion dollars or more each.  By the ‘90s and ‘00s it averaged 5 per year then 11 between 2010 and 2015.  And today?  Twelve (12) billion-dollar-events have taken place in 2016.   “The fools!  My powers grow daily, yet they continue to feed me.  Nya-a-ah!!”  Destructo gloats knowing that he’s increased the number of severe storms, floods, and heat waves five-fold since the 1970s.
 
        Still, Earth’s inhabitants continue to supply his seemingly insatiable appetite by pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels.  These gasses warm the air; warmer air holds more moisture.  That combination of heat and moisture creates the perfect conditions for more frequent and more severe storms.  On the contrary, in dry climates where little evaporation takes place the additional heat sucks the remaining moister from the ground like in California where it’s estimated that 62 million trees have died from drought in 2016 alone.
 
        Will Destructo’s power and influence continue to rise?  Will Earth’s inhabitants have their homes and cities destroyed at an increasing pace?  Will the rise of the number of billion-dollar-events empty the pocketbooks and drain the will of the world’s populace???
 
        High in their mountain retreat deep inside an ice cave in Glacier National Park, Team Climate members secretly confer.  “Just look at what he’s done,” gasps Marketron.  “We can’t let him get any stronger,” Efficination murmurs.  “It’s time to take action,” Innovato declares.  “Our pledge to the people of the Earth demands it,” agrees Compassionator. 
 
        Next time – find out if Team Climate can thwart Destructo’s evil schemes.  Godspeed Team Climate!  Because this precious place is the only home we’ll ever know.  We’re here forever…Earthbound.

            Change is upon us; sometimes it overtakes us more quickly than we realize.  Consider information technology (IT).  Ten years ago no one owned a smart phone.  Five years ago about one in three Americans were hooked.  Today, according to a recent survey, about half of Americans claim they can’t live without one!  In one short decade something that hadn’t even existed has made itself practically indispensible.  An irreversible shift in IT is happening, and it’s changing the world.
            Now consider energy.  Ten years ago solar arrays and wind turbines, both the utility-sized and the residential varieties, were relatively rare.  But a recent report from the International Energy Agency tells us that now more than half of the world’s total new electrical capacity comes from renewable resources.  An irreversible shift in energy production is underway.  Just as the smart phone rapidly ushered in a revolution in information technology, renewable resources are giving birth to an “Energy Renaissance.”
            Not convinced?  Take a look at some remarkable statistics David Kramer has compiled that illustrate the point:

• Roughly half a million (yes, that’s 500,000!) solar panels are installed EVERY DAY worldwide.
• On average, China builds two new wind turbines EVERY HOUR.
• Over the past eight years the cost of photovoltaic solar has dropped about 60% with an additional 25% drop expected in the next five years.
• Also in the next five years large offshore wind project costs are expected to drop by as much as 50%.
• Since 2008, wind generation in the U.S. has tripled, and solar generation has increased 30-fold.
  

       Now that the cost of renewable energy generation is very competitive with fossil fuels the Energy Renaissance is blossoming.  And why not?  The advantages are numerous: no cartel or corporation can corner this market, there’s a limitless supply, and renewable power generation has fixed fuel costs - it’s free!
         Savvy investors know that the smart money is on the inevitable dominance of renewable energy.  (Hmm… Ten years ago would you have put your money into landline telephones or smart phone tech?)  Aside from the economic and convenience benefits, clean energy is essential to a healthy environment.  Lucky for us, this path to a vibrant and prosperous future is open to us right here on the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’ll be forever… Earthbound.