Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
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38 politics and governance<br />
<strong>to</strong>ols <strong>to</strong> shift assets <strong>to</strong> long-term value aligned with ecological<br />
health. But many, in Peter Senge’s words, “fail <strong>to</strong> summon <strong>the</strong><br />
imagination and courage <strong>to</strong> face <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>y are selling <strong>the</strong><br />
wrong products . . . <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> wrong cus<strong>to</strong>mers” (Senge, 2008, p. 310).<br />
Few will, without strong, imaginative, and farsighted government<br />
leadership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kind we associate with <strong>the</strong> founding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
United States, Lincoln’s response <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> secession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
states, and Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership in <strong>the</strong> 1930s and during<br />
World War II. Corporations acting in disorganized or unregulated<br />
markets will not act consistently for <strong>the</strong> public good when it no<br />
longer serves <strong>the</strong>ir short-term shareholder interests. To do o<strong>the</strong>rwise<br />
would be fatal <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> underperforming<br />
companies. The cardinal rule <strong>of</strong> capitalism is <strong>to</strong> make money, and<br />
no amount <strong>of</strong> greenwashing can hide that fact.<br />
A great deal, accordingly, depends on how and how well we<br />
repair and enhance <strong>the</strong> capacity <strong>of</strong> government <strong>to</strong> do what only<br />
governments can do. The market is <strong>the</strong> arena in which we say “I”<br />
and “mine” and in which we act mostly for near-term advantage.<br />
Government is one in which we come <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> say “we” and<br />
“ours,” in order <strong>to</strong> protect and enhance our common interests<br />
immediately and over <strong>the</strong> long term. Markets seldom act for <strong>the</strong><br />
enduring public good; governments can and must. But a great<br />
deal <strong>of</strong> our commonwealth, common property, and capacity <strong>to</strong><br />
act collectively has been squandered in <strong>the</strong> past four decades,<br />
diminishing our democratic heritage and reducing our capacity <strong>to</strong><br />
respond collectively <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> kinds <strong>of</strong> emergencies that will become<br />
more common in <strong>the</strong> future. The miserable performance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Federal Emergency Management Agency in <strong>the</strong> wake <strong>of</strong> Katrina<br />
and more recently <strong>the</strong> <strong>to</strong>tal failure <strong>of</strong> regulation that culminated<br />
in <strong>the</strong> bankruptcies <strong>of</strong> major fi nancial institutions, for example,<br />
were <strong>the</strong> predictable results <strong>of</strong> decisions by people who wanted<br />
<strong>to</strong> get government <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong>ir backs. 31 Both cases (as well as o<strong>the</strong>rs)<br />
starkly revealed a void where we need <strong>the</strong> capacity for foresight,<br />
competent actions in emergency situations, transparency, and