Global Warming, it is said, offers perhaps both the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced and perhaps the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had. Either we will figure out how to transform society, to a prosperous and sustainable path, or we will fail to do so with dire consequences.
When it comes to Global Warming and moving forward, one of the greatest challenges has been from those fearful, dismissive, disdainful of “large” government. Yet, to deal with Global Warming will require not just individual action, not just local communities, not just ‘business’ and market activity, but serious government engagement as well — policy, financing, research support, and otherwise.
So, a question that has to be faced: Is Wall Street’s meltdown going to worsen or improve the prospects for navigating the Perfect Storm of Peak Oil and Global Warming? And, the answer is likely: both. It is both challenge and opportunity.
Not entirely unforseen by concerned parties, we are now into a Trifecta (plus) of Financial Storm, Energy Supply challenges (Peak Oil), and Global Warming. The “best” answer to each might be far from optimal for the others. And, let’s face facts, the history of dealing outside stove-pipes for decisionmaking isn’t necessarily rosy. Thus, this very complexity will create serious challenges.
But … there are opportunities and benefits, such as that outlined by Richard Littlemore at DeSmogBlog. In light of the US government intervention to save AIG, Richard points out:
This is what government does: it saves us from ourselves and from disasters we cannot anticipate. Good governments try to get ahead of that curve, setting policies and regulations that prevent totally stupid or predictable crises. I think its fair to say that this event suggests that good government has, recently, been in short supply.
It is a good piece, well worth the read, discussing government policy in face of “the financial meltdown and the global climate meltdown”.
And, truth be told, one of best paths for dealing with this Trifecta Perfect Storm could very well be a Green Stimulus package … for roughly the same amount that the US government threw into AIG overnight, we could make a real serious start to turning the tide on America’s wasteful and profligate use of fossil fuels while sparking new jobs and better economic performance into the future.