Final answer:
The phrase describing the excerpts is 'Current advancements in technology', covering historical inventions and modern renewable energy tech.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase that best describes the topic of the provided excerpts is d) Current advancements in technology. The excerpts discuss various stages of technological development, from historical technological events such as the invention of the windmill to the contemporary standpoint on renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power. It also touches upon the ideas of how the Industrial Revolution created a divide between Western Europe/America and other parts of the world and reflects on how physics explores various ideas, including potential energy sources.