Leap in the Dark

Abandoning fossil fuels is far riskier than governments are prepared to admit

As the First Fleet made its way to Australia on vessels propelled by wind and muscle, the last energy transition was making headway in Europe and the United States. The first commercial steamboat completed a successful trial on the Delaware River in New Jersey on August 20, 1787, heralding the arrival of a more powerful and efficient source of energy.

Th…