Big oil to be eclipsed by the sun

Reasons to be cheerful include signs that a renewables revolution could soon end rising demand for fossil fuels

Oil has been a game-changer for humanity. It turbocharged more than a century of growth and destruction: people got bigger, went further, stayed warmer and lived longer. Oil powered travel, exploration, science, industry and innovation.

But it also powered conflict, both as a fuel and a potential spoil. It exacerbated inequality. And it polluted - oceans, rivers, wildernesses and, of course, the atmosphere.