Chris Wright: Climate Change Is No Crisis, It’s Progress

Is climate change just progress’s side effect, or an existential threat? Trump’s energy secretary has a bold take.

In a guest essay for The Economist, Chris Wright, President Trump’s newly minted energy secretary, delivers a provocative take: climate change isn’t an existential threat but a by-product of human progress. For energy readers—whether you’re into oil markets, grid dynamics, or global trade—this piece is a must-read. Since it sits behind The Economist’s hard paywall, here’s an analysis for paid subscribers to Energy Transition Absurdities.

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For readers obsessed with energy—whether you’re tracking oil rigs, solar panels, or geopolitics Wright’s thesis demands a closer look. It’s a high-stakes stance that has ignited fierce debate, because trillions of dollars in future capital investment in energy projects of all types are at stake.

Wright, a former CEO of fracking contractor Liberty Energy, builds his case with a clear lens: energy is the backbone of prosperity, and we shouldn’t apologize for it. Wright’s core argument is straightforward. Fossil fuels have powered historic gains—lifting billions out of poverty, extending life expectancies, and fueling tech and industry. “Atmospheric CO2 has risen,” he writes, “but so has human flourishing.”