Larry Elliott — Saving the planet from short-term thinking will take ‘man on the moon’ commitment

Instead of dealing with the global challenges emerging from increasing complexity, the argument is over "affordability" in a fiat system and pursuing maximum utility as individuals and nations. Myopic in the extreme.

Pascal Lamy had a stab at tackling some of these difficult issues last week when he presented the findings of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations, which the former World Trade Organisation chief has been chairing for the past year.

The commission’s report, Now for the Long Term, looks at some of so-called megatrends that will shape the world in the decades to come, and lists the challenges under five headings: society; resources; health; geopolitics and governance.

Change will be difficult, the study suggests, because problems are complex, institutions are inadequate, faith in politicians is low, and short-termism is well-entrenched....

Lamy expressed concern that the ability to address challenges is being undermined by the absence of a “collective vision for society”. The purpose of the report, he said, was to build “a chain from knowledge to awareness to mobilising political energy to action”. 

The Raw Story
Saving the planet from short-term thinking will take ‘man on the moon’ commitment
Larry Elliott, The Guardian