Question: Whose responsibility is global warming?
Peter Rojas: If I were like in charge of the government or something like that, I would definitely be doing . . . I would definitely be trying to . . . to . . . I would have like – and this has been proposed by a lot of people – an Apollo program, you know to get the country off of oil, which would have huge affects, you know, geopolitically for us, and would also have a lot of great benefits environmentally. And it’s not just about switching to ethanol. It’s really about mobbing to like a hydrogen-based economy. Remember like Wired had a cover story like six or seven years ago about . . . about like let’s move to a hydrogen-based economy. And of course you know, we basically lost the past six or seven years. We could have been doing so much more. And so I mean that’s one of the basic things that I would be doing. And . . . and I would be . . . You know I’d have the government helping to facilitate that research and that innovation – doing whatever it takes, whether it’s investing or, you know, deregulating. Whatever it . . . you know whatever it takes from a macro-economic policy. And I won’t pretend to know what that specific solution would be, but I think that’s one of the things where, you know, there’s so much talent, so much energy, and so much expertise that if we’re able to kind of harness it and . . . and enable it, that it’s hard to imagine us not coming up with really creative solutions. It just takes leadership and . . . and people willing to . . . to make tough decisions. And I guess that’s the thing that sort of frustrates me. It doesn’t seem like people are willing to make tough decisions, you know, at a political level about what we need to do. You know I mean you see it . . . You know like . . . You know on a business level, you can . . . The companies that are, you know, moving forward and doing great things are also the ones that are . . . It’s not just about great companies coming up with great ideas and executing them. It’s also having the discipline to make tough decisions about where to spend your resources and . . . and . . . and what to do.
Recorded on: 10/2/07
Discuss
Quentin McKenna on January 7, 2008, 6:10 PM
His messages is very rambling… and I think disconnected.
For instance, having a government "Apollo program" and relying free enterprise and deregulation are two mutually exclusive solutions.
Quentin McKenna on January 7, 2008, 11:10 PM
His messages is very rambling… and I think disconnected.
For instance, having a government “Apollo program” and relying free enterprise and deregulation are two mutually exclusive solutions.
P Conner on January 9, 2008, 10:32 AM
I understand his comment about an "Apollo program." The US wanted to go into space and created the "Apollo program". It took the government to spend money to put us on the moon. We need the government to take the same approach to getting America off of our dependence on oil.
P Conner on January 9, 2008, 3:32 PM
I understand his comment about an “Apollo program.” The US wanted to go into space and created the “Apollo program”. It took the government to spend money to put us on the moon. We need the government to take the same approach to getting America off of our dependence on oil.
John Zawacki on January 21, 2008, 4:19 PM
I don't think its about decision making, science should do that! I think its about not doing the right thing for selfish reasons!
John Zawacki on January 21, 2008, 9:19 PM
I don’t think its about decision making, science should do that! I think its about not doing the right thing for selfish reasons!
Frank Rush on February 23, 2008, 4:38 PM
Of course it important that the country's political leaders initiate and follow through with any positive action on global warming. But when we talk global, we mean all the countries on the globe. Will it work if say only 50% of the big energy users are onboard. If we in the U.S. do this it will make the cost of producing products higher. If China does not participate, their products will be cheaper and hurt American industry and American workers and the American economy. The main idea should be, not that U.S. do something about global war, but that all member of the globe take equal responsibility. How to do this is a major diplomatic problem that has to be solved successfully. This is the dialogue that this Big Think should encourage. I would like to see practical ideas that would make all countries
Frank Rush on February 23, 2008, 4:38 PM
Of course it important that the country's political leaders initiate and follow through with any positive action on global warming. But when we talk global, we mean all the countries on the globe. Will it work if say only 50% of the big energy users are onboard. If we in the U.S. do this it will make the cost of producing products higher. If China does not participate, their products will be cheaper and hurt American industry and American workers and the American economy. The main idea should be, not that U.S. do something about global war, but that all member of the globe take equal responsibility. How to do this is a major diplomatic problem that has to be solved successfully. This is the dialogue that this Big Think should encourage. I would like to see practical ideas that would make all countries
Frank Rush on February 23, 2008, 9:38 PM
Of course it important that the country’s political leaders initiate and follow through with any positive action on global warming. But when we talk global, we mean all the countries on the globe. Will it work if say only 50% of the big energy users are onboard. If we in the U.S. do this it will make the cost of producing products higher. If China does not participate, their products will be cheaper and hurt American industry and American workers and the American economy. The main idea should be, not that U.S. do something about global war, but that all member of the globe take equal responsibility. How to do this is a major diplomatic problem that has to be solved successfully. This is the dialogue that this Big Think should encourage. I would like to see practical ideas that would make all countries
Frank Rush on February 23, 2008, 9:38 PM
Of course it important that the country’s political leaders initiate and follow through with any positive action on global warming. But when we talk global, we mean all the countries on the globe. Will it work if say only 50% of the big energy users are onboard. If we in the U.S. do this it will make the cost of producing products higher. If China does not participate, their products will be cheaper and hurt American industry and American workers and the American economy. The main idea should be, not that U.S. do something about global war, but that all member of the globe take equal responsibility. How to do this is a major diplomatic problem that has to be solved successfully. This is the dialogue that this Big Think should encourage. I would like to see practical ideas that would make all countries
Joseph Mifsud on March 9, 2008, 12:49 PM
The biggest problem I see is not the technology. It is the global integration of the technology.
In the space race it was two countries against each other. Now it is every single country throwing down their own ways to combat a problem that may not be profitable to combat at this point. I do not think we will be able to work together to solve our problems. I feel, humans in general do not work that way.
Joseph Mifsud on March 9, 2008, 4:49 PM
The biggest problem I see is not the technology. It is the global integration of the technology.
In the space race it was two countries against each other. Now it is every single country throwing down their own ways to combat a problem that may not be profitable to combat at this point. I do not think we will be able to work together to solve our problems. I feel, humans in general do not work that way.
john matteson on June 25, 2008, 12:50 PM
uhh.. like… dude… hydrogen power… come on.. what about wind, solar, geothermal all of these are better options then hydrogen.
john matteson on June 25, 2008, 4:50 PM
uhh.. like… dude… hydrogen power… come on.. what about wind, solar, geothermal all of these are better options then hydrogen.
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