Need is The Mother of...Inventors, Innovators, and Agents of Change.

Need is The Mother of...Inventors, Innovators, and Agents of Change.
by Lee J. Keller

The other day I happened to catch Thomas Friedman on Larry King Live. He was doing more than hawking his latest landmark book Hot Flat and Crowded. Friedman was reminding us of one of the essential tasks of our time, a task that if we do not rise to embrace will be a sad legacy indeed to our children, their children's children, and even their children (if we make it that far). I am referring to the task of saving our planet, saving our atmosphere, reducing the threats of global pollution and dealing with major climate changes for whatever reasons it seems to be among us.

Friedman doesn't have to hawk his books to sell them, as his ideas are fresh, visionary and right on the cutting edge of technology and cultural change. He is an astute observer and student of America's place in the world. His books find a ready audience. If I am not mistaken, Friedman was pointing out (among many other useful things) that a big part of the future recovery of our US economy might well depend upon America becoming a leader in the greening movement of scientific breakthrough and development that helps us to clean up the world, reduce carbon emissions, and design and develop more efficient and cleaner energy technologies such as "clean coal". It was even speculated that other countries that have dire need of this might just follow us and our example if we can do it, inded might be waiting and watching for our example and leadership on these concerns. (China was specifically mentioned).

In many cases in the past, faced with economic poverty and near collapse, and on more than one occasion, companies as well as nations have had to reinvent themselves to survive. Technologies have been introduced for better or worse into societies that caused lasting changes in the cultural fabric of that society. Green technologies can be more positive than negative. At the very least companies and nations have had to adapt to survive as their environments forced the very changes that eventually were made. It is not too late to meet the challenges of this moment's environmental needs.

As of yet our back is not in the corner, but innovation and intellectual curiousity as well as creativity ought to become dreams of the young in US culture. Media accounts have stated that engineering is becoming a more popular major among US university students than in the past. Unfortunately this has not always been the case. In fact, many US companies have had to recruit outside engineering talent from other countries to help meet their technical science and engineering positions that have gone unfilled amongst the students from this country.

If America can design, produce, and implement successful green technologies, then other countries will follow suit. I am optimistic that even in this time of great societal and economic upheaval there are brilliant minds working on some of these technologies that will lead us once again to greatness.

We might not just be helping ourselves and our kids, but somebody else too! --L.J.K.