For those of you who missed it, the World Bank came out with a report today stating they are now seeing a reasonable chance that the temperature of the Earth will rise 4 degrees by 2060. To say that this will have radical consequences on large geographic areas and populations on Earth is an understatement, but one has to wonder… will anything be done in time?
This was a question that I found myself addressing on Facebook with some friends, to which the comment was made:
Unfortunately seems on the low side to me. Will conflict and mass civil unrest cause significant change or will that distract us even more? Fight over resources rather than thinking long term???
It was a comment that reminded me of a recent quote from Bill Clinton where he said:
the 21st century is either going to be the most interesting time in human history, or it is going to be very bleak, and I don’t think we have decided yet. We haven’t made the fundamental decisions about whether we are going to share the future or fight over it.
With four degrees, and all the horrors that come with it, now considered feasible, I say it is time that we make a decision as leaders, come together, and develop plans to address the issues that are faced. This will be difficult, particularly as the issues themselves are often presented in a way that is intangible, too big to address, and a problem that “they” will end up facing at sometime in the future.. but it needs to be done.
Personally speaking, I will be kicking off 35 projects in January. Projects that are between my MBA students and 25 multinational companies who are now taking some of their first steps out to understand, engage, and address the issues they face (or contribute to), and I would encourage any of you to reach out to learn more about the steps you can take as well. Defensively and offensively.
To read the full report, please click here.