Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history\u2014if we can keep accelerating the pace, we have a chance.<\/p>\n
Here Comes the Sun<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind\u2014and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. From the everyday citizens who installed solar panels equal to a third of Pakistan\u2019s electric grid in a year to the world\u2019s sixth-largest economy\u2014California\u2014nearly halving its use of natural gas in the last two years, Bill McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy. And he shows how solar power is more than just a path out of the climate crisis: it is a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can\u2019t hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves\u2014it\u2019s available to all.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no guarantee we can make this change in time, but there is a hope\u2014in McKibben\u2019s eyes, our best hope for a new civilization: one that looks up to the sun, every day, as the star that fuels our world.<\/p>","excerpt":"","slug":"bill-mckibben","image":{"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben.jpg","id":67216,"extension":"jpg","width":800,"height":400,"filesize":151582,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":300,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":8362,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-300x150.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":7118,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-150x150.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":384,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":24941,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-768x384.jpg"},"et-pb-post-main-image":{"width":400,"height":250,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":13533,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-400x250.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-image":{"width":400,"height":284,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":15356,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-400x284.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":{"width":510,"height":382,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":22658,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-510x382.jpg"},"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":{"width":400,"height":400,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":21822,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-400x400.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":{"width":480,"height":240,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":13135,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben-480x240.jpg"}}},"all_day":false,"start_date":"2025-09-16 19:30:00","start_date_details":{"year":"2025","month":"09","day":"16","hour":"19","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"end_date":"2025-09-16 19:30:00","end_date_details":{"year":"2025","month":"09","day":"16","hour":"19","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"utc_start_date":"2025-09-17 02:30:00","utc_start_date_details":{"year":"2025","month":"09","day":"17","hour":"02","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"utc_end_date":"2025-09-17 02:30:00","utc_end_date_details":{"year":"2025","month":"09","day":"17","hour":"02","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"timezone":"America\/Los_Angeles","timezone_abbr":"PDT","cost":"$7 \u2013 $90","cost_details":{"currency_symbol":"$","currency_code":"USD\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=","currency_position":"prefix","values":["7","90"]},"website":"","show_map":false,"show_map_link":true,"hide_from_listings":false,"sticky":false,"featured":false,"categories":[{"name":"Rentals","slug":"rental-partner-events","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":57,"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","description":"","parent":0,"count":465,"filter":"raw","id":57,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories\/57","collection":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories"}}],"tags":[],"venue":{"id":62007,"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2023-12-20 07:18:59","date_utc":"2023-12-20 15:18:59","modified":"2023-12-20 07:18:59","modified_utc":"2023-12-20 15:18:59","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/venue\/the-great-hall\/","venue":"The Great Hall","slug":"the-great-hall","image":{"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","id":63111,"extension":"jpg","width":1868,"height":934,"filesize":59051,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":300,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":5384,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-300x150.jpg"},"large":{"width":1024,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":27540,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1024x512.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":3737,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-150x150.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":384,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":18575,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-768x384.jpg"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":768,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":47743,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1536x768.jpg"},"et-pb-post-main-image":{"width":400,"height":250,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":9538,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x250.jpg"},"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":{"width":1080,"height":675,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":35109,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1080x675.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-image":{"width":400,"height":284,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":10197,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x284.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":{"width":510,"height":382,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":15036,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-510x382.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":{"width":1080,"height":540,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":29867,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1080x540.jpg"},"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":{"width":400,"height":516,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":14191,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x516.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":{"width":1280,"height":640,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":36944,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1280x640.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":{"width":980,"height":490,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":26303,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-980x490.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":{"width":480,"height":240,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":9690,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-480x240.jpg"}}},"address":"1119 Eighth Avenue (enter on Eighth Avenue)","city":"Seattle","country":"United States","zip":"98101","json_ld":{"@type":"Place","name":"The Great Hall","description":"","image":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/venue\/the-great-hall\/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1119 Eighth Avenue (enter on Eighth Avenue)","addressLocality":"Seattle","postalCode":"98101","addressCountry":"United States"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"show_map":true,"show_map_link":true,"global_id":"townhallseattle.org?id=62007","global_id_lineage":["townhallseattle.org?id=62007"]},"organizer":[{"id":62919,"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2024-01-25 16:02:54","date_utc":"2024-01-26 00:02:54","modified":"2025-01-30 11:43:02","modified_utc":"2025-01-30 19:43:02","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/organizer\/seattle-arts-lectures\/","organizer":"Seattle Arts & Lectures","slug":"seattle-arts-lectures","image":{"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","id":63111,"extension":"jpg","width":1868,"height":934,"filesize":59051,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":300,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":5384,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-300x150.jpg"},"large":{"width":1024,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":27540,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1024x512.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":3737,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-150x150.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":384,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":18575,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-768x384.jpg"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":768,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":47743,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1536x768.jpg"},"et-pb-post-main-image":{"width":400,"height":250,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":9538,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x250.jpg"},"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":{"width":1080,"height":675,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":35109,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1080x675.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-image":{"width":400,"height":284,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":10197,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x284.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":{"width":510,"height":382,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":15036,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-510x382.jpg"},"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":{"width":1080,"height":540,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":29867,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1080x540.jpg"},"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":{"width":400,"height":516,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":14191,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-400x516.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":{"width":1280,"height":640,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":36944,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-1280x640.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":{"width":980,"height":490,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":26303,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-980x490.jpg"},"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":{"width":480,"height":240,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":9690,"url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin-480x240.jpg"}}},"website":"https:\/\/lectures.org\/","email":"boxoffice@lectures.org","json_ld":{"@type":"Person","name":"Seattle Arts & Lectures","description":"","image":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","url":"https:\/\/lectures.org\/","telephone":"","email":"boxoffice@lectures.org","sameAs":"https:\/\/lectures.org\/"},"global_id":"townhallseattle.org?id=62919","global_id_lineage":["townhallseattle.org?id=62919"]}],"custom_fields":{"_ecp_custom_27":{"label":"Event Format","value":"In-Person|Livestream|CART"}},"json_ld":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Event","name":"Bill McKibben","description":"<p>Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of […]<\/p>\\n","image":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bill-mckibben.jpg","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/event\/bill-mckibben\/","eventAttendanceMode":"https:\/\/schema.org\/OfflineEventAttendanceMode","eventStatus":"https:\/\/schema.org\/EventScheduled","startDate":"2025-09-16T19:30:00-07:00","endDate":"2025-09-16T19:30:00-07:00","location":{"@type":"Place","name":"The Great Hall","description":"","image":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/venue\/the-great-hall\/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1119 Eighth Avenue (enter on Eighth Avenue)","addressLocality":"Seattle","postalCode":"98101","addressCountry":"United States"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"organizer":{"@type":"Person","name":"Seattle Arts & Lectures","description":"","image":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Default_blog_tile_thin.jpg","url":"https:\/\/lectures.org\/","telephone":"","email":"boxoffice@lectures.org","sameAs":"https:\/\/lectures.org\/"},"offers":{"@type":"Offer","price":"$7 \u2013 $90","priceCurrency":"USD\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=","url":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/event\/bill-mckibben\/","category":"primary","availability":"inStock","validFrom":"2025-07-20T00:00:00+00:00"},"performer":"Organization"},"is_virtual":false,"virtual_url":null,"virtual_video_source":""}