It’s human nature to focus first on what’s immediately in front of us. That’s usually a good thing: it keeps us from tripping. But this tendency toward myopia also has huge risks, especially when it drives national and international policy agendas. Just compare the alacrity with which the G-20 responded to the 2007–08 global financial crisis to the international foot dragging on climate change, despite scientists’ warning that Earth is headed for a scorching 4 degree Celsius increase in the average global temperature by the end of the century. Myopia indeed.

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