You might wonder what the Cold War has to do with climate change, but as I listened last month to historian James Graham Wilson talk about the “triumph of improvisation” that ended the nearly 50-year stare-down between the United States and the U.S.S.R., I was struck by the parallels. The idea of individual leaders escaping the momentum of conventional approaches and adapting on the fly to solve a major global issue deeply resonated with me. It’s exactly what international climate change negotiations desperately need.
Creative improvising means leadership not hemmed in by the past; leadership that considers many different pathways, venues, and agreement configurations to get to the end goal. For humanity, as the stranglehold of greenhouse gas emissions tightens, it is time to decide whether it is more important to sign a piece of paper or have a real impact on global warming.
See full Article: http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2014/05/time-creative-cold-war-lessons-climate-negotiators/
Posts
