Watch this short video and then come back.
Aren’t the Aussies clever? Certainly, this video makes its point—we are screwing the future. But sadly, the video ignores an even bigger issue that makes the challenge of sustainable development particularly vexing: China needs massive amounts of cheap energy to pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and to maintain the social/political stability needed to navigate the delicate and narrow path towards sustainable development.
While the producers of the video were pleading not to screw the tens of millions of Aussie grandchildren by burdening them with climate change, they were ignoring the pleas of hundreds of millions of Chinese that are getting screwed right now.
Damn tough problem. Damn good opportunity for leaders to step up.