[specialist]

It seems to older me that punctuated equilibrium is some kind of natural law.

Incremental progress may be ideal. Alas, whatever forces that may be, trying to preserve the current equilibrium, fight off change. Until the compulsion to change overwhelms the system.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

So when humanity finally goes carbon negative, it'll be despite the opposition, because they couldn't defend the status quo any longer. Then all that bottled up change will be like a dam bursting.

Hopefully it'll happen sooner than later.