October 06, 2009

Jeffrey Sachs: The US Political System Is Incapable of Dealing with World Problems

Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, spoke on the economics of a crowded planet. 

The remarks—sober in tone—narrates a series of global crises related to a “bursting” planet filled with more people and more resource consumption per person than ever before. 

What is happening to the American political system?  It’s not only the global resources challenges, but we have clear failures of American politics that are contributing to the shocks we’re facing.  If you take a non-partisan, dispassionate view of it, our problems of governance extend for 20-25 years.  They are crippling thoughtful decision-making

Here are some highlights, as reported by those in the audience at the blogger hub:

And perhaps the best Tweet of the afternoon: