Sterling’s column is kind of silly, and there’s lots to argue with, but I think that, without even knowing it, he stumbles onto an idea worth considering. Here’s the important passage:

It’s the Net vs. the 20th-century fossil order in a fight that the cybergreens are winning. Why? Because they’re not about spiritual potential, human decency, small is beautiful, peace, justice or anything else unattainable. The cybergreens are about stuff people want, such as health, sex, glamour, hot products, awesome bandwidth, tech innovation and tons of money.
We’re gonna glam, spend and consume our way into planetary survival.

A few paragraphs later, he writes, “In 1998, I had it figured that the dot-com boom would become a dot-green boom.” So if I understand this correctly, Sterling is saying that climate change will cease to be an issue because of businesses catering to consumer demand. In other words: markets create solutions, and the free exchange of goods and services—not top-down government planning—is what brings about important changes in the way we live. Gosh, I’m so glad we have visionary futurists out there who’re kind enough to explain these unheard of, revolutionary ideas.