Big Governments Are No Help With Climate Change

In response to my rhetorical question at the conclusion of my recent post on climate change: “(Given that we appear incapable of going after the problem itself), are we going to put dikes around the 217,490 miles of the planet’s coast lines?” frequent commenter Glenn Doty writes:

Part of the disconnect lies in the fact that the models from the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) don’t show that we’ll need dikes around most of the coast-line within 20-40 years, and no government plans for a longer time frame than that.

Excellent point.  Regarding the overall time frame in which climate change is occurring, and the inability of the governments of the world’s largest countries to respond over those periods, you are 100% correct.  Actually, even if that time frame were accelerated 100 times, and a catastrophic rise in ocean levels were happening over a period of the next few months, I’m afraid we’d be no better equipped to take the actions required to stem the damage.

Thus we have the metaphor of the “train wreck in slow motion.”  The process is unfolding over a period of decades, and unfortunately, there is no evidence that we have any response at all, at least as far as big government is concerned.  I love what the IPCC is trying to do, and I have nothing but fond respect for Rajendra Pachauri  (IPCC chairman whom I interviewed for my current book project: “Renewable Energy – Following the Money,” which will be available shortly).  However, I’d be lying if I said they’ve been at all successful in generating any level of consensus or cooperation among world governments.

What pulls me back from utter despair is what’s happening in the private sector, as well as certain localized aspects of government around the globe.