A colleague posted the following video over on Cleantechnica.com, and I think it deserves reposting here as well. While not directly related to energy, climate, and sustainability, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s comments on the utter lack of vision for the future speaks to the abandonment of many – if not most – of our leaders in Congress to the the principles responsible leadership.
Instead of embracing the work of scientists, they reject it. Instead of promoting education, they seek to defund it. Instead of helping to shepherd their constituents through a time of transition, they seek only to push the emotional buttons that will get them reelected – and no more.
Perhaps all this is not entirely new, but the political polarization and failure to grasp the realities before us has never been worse. Under the best of circumstances, the next several decades will be one of the most challenging periods of transition humanity has ever faced. It is apparent to me that our leaders are not up to the task. It is up to us.