Wake Up Call

The article by Friedman should without a doubt be a wake-up call for the American government. As long as the government continues to ignore the drastic negative effects that climate change will have on the world, so will the population. What the US also fails to realize is the investment possibilities and the sustainable economic growth and development potential that investing in green energy has. Friedman takes a peculiar angle when making climate change sort of a competition. However, because he compares China and the US, two major economic players in today’s ever-globalizing world, the article makes complete sense. Unfortunately, China only realized its specific need for investment in green energy after many of its cities became the most polluted in the world. Still Friedman’s points on climate change as a race makes sense because of the ongoing economic rivalry between the US and China, especially with China’s need for new jobs with its extremely high population.


I personally believe that technological innovation and refocusing the economy on green manufacturing is the best method of addressing climate change, but it is conditional on the efforts of American society as a whole to make sacrifices that include lifestyle changes. Technological innovation as a whole will not only mean newer methods of maintaining the environment, but also, as seen with the example of China, has the potential to create jobs in various sectors and pour money into the US, which is exactly the driving force needed to push the US economy forward and perhaps a first step to counter the fiscal crisis.