The long and imperfect in-between
On youthful activism, reform, and the difficulties of mapping out a way to a better future
Being made up of imperfect people, as it is, the world is a pretty flawed place. Much is in need of repair, reform, or renewal. It has always been this way, and our best hope is to make durable progress against shortcomings when and where we can.
■ In light of these many imperfections, people have choices to make. Some remain indifferent, some become incensed (and revel in the anger), and others get to work doing things to bring about change. The enduring problem with change is in making it stick: As anyone who has ever tried to correct a bad habit knows, it’s easier to uncover a fault than to hold tight to a plan that makes it go away.
■ The astute observer learns to tell the differences among the different types of people by paying attention to whether they fixate on desired results or invest their energies into finding a reasonable path. A youthful questioner at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting lodged an accusatory barrage at company leadership, demanding to know when the company (which owns lots of electric utility subsidiaries) would cease all use of coal out of fear of global warming.
■ The real answer, of course, is that while electrical generation from coal is less than ideal from the perspective of carbon pollution, one of the major shifts underway is a broad move towards electrification -- particularly in areas like automobiles. In other words, to get rid of combustion-engine pollution, choices are being made to create greater demand for electricity.
■ And while the electrical generation mix in the United States has been swinging massively towards a mix of natural gas and renewable sources, we haven’t solved certain large problems like battery storage well enough to rely solely on renewables -- and nuclear power still faces big hurdles with regulators and public opinion. There’s no way to eliminate carbon-based fuels overnight. To get from the present to a better future, we have to go through a very long and imperfect “in-between”.
■ In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” But it’s hard to communicate that to people who fixate single-mindedly on a destination without seeking to answer “How will we get there from where we are now?”. Youthful passion doesn’t always see this, but sober-minded adults need to teach them the way.
■ As Margaret Thatcher once reminded the leaders of Poland’s Solidarity movement, one must always ask, “How do you see the process from where you are now to where you want to be?“. To do without only condemns us to frustration and escalation.