Let me finish tonight with this.
The trouble with democracy is that it rewards and punishes only in the short run!
Think of all those in the business world – and in the Congress — who can joyously vote against any effort to limit carbon emissions – and never pay at the ballot – for the simple reason that the results of their vote won’t be felt in the stretch of their political careers.
Think of all the good environmentalists who will get no credit in their political careers from voting their concern for climate change.
Take the example of Miami. It’s a great city – perhaps headed to the greatest city of the Western Hemisphere – but for one problem. It is largely flat, most of it less than five feet above sea level. When the ocean rises just three feet, much of the city will fall below sea level. Over more time, it will become an underwater city, a lost city, an Atlantis.
When that day comes – most probably in this century, people will look back at those on the piggish side politically today – those who laugh at climate change – and say they were the ones who did this.
Chris Matthews