From the article:
Even though there’s still work to be done, we’ve shown what these artificial leaves are capable of doing,” Reisner said in the SciTechDaily report. “It’s important to show that we can go beyond the simplest molecules and make things that are directly useful as we transition away from fossil fuels.
We're not transitioning away from fossil fuels at all. The rate of global warming is accelerating. Humanity is carbonizing the atmosphere more rapidly than ever. Even if we stopped completely today, it would still take centuries -- possibly millennia -- to reverse what has already begun, assuming it is reversible.
Why isn't this more widely understood? It certainly will be soon.
In addition to stopping as much carbonization as possible, carbon capture and storage (CCS) capacity must increase. I read recently that a fossil fuel producer is investing in CCS to capitalize on the credits, but unfortunately the policy is resulting in the unintended consequence of enabling continued use of fossil fuels through carbon neutrality. Thus, it won't solve the problem.
Meanwhile, as the world begins to burn, we're arguing about the relative trivialities of what people can do with their personal lives. This is, therefore, at best, an opportunity to observe the collective insanity and self-destructiveness of humanity.
Eventually, it may be an interesting story, but there may be no one left alive to hear it.