And when the ocean starts rising to the level of whatever…
““And when the ocean starts rising to the level of whatever building they're in and whatever floor they're on as they write their editorials, yeah, then they'll agree that there's a greenhouse effect and we'd better do something about it. Sure, no matter how lunatic people are, at some point or other they're going to realize that these problems exist, and they are approaching fast. It's just that the next thing they'll ask is, "So how can we make some money off it?" In fact, anybody in business who didn't ask that question would find themselves out of business—just because that's the way that capitalist institutions work. I mean, if some executive came along and said," I'm not going to look at it that way, I'm going to do things differently," well, they'd get replaced by someone who would try to make more money off it―because these are simply institutional facts, these are facts about the structure of the institutions. And if you don't like them, and I don't, then you're going to have to change the institutions. There really is no other way.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The urgency of climate crisis will force acknowledgment, but profit motives dominate institutional responses, requiring systemic change.
In simple terms: Climate change will be recognized, yet capitalism resists action.
Key Takeaway
Push for institutional reform.
Themes
climate change
capitalism
institutional inertia
environmental policy
Mood
urgent
critical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- corporate strategy
- public activism
- grassroots organizing
Key Concepts
systems theory
political economy
environmental ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we align profit with climate solutions?
- What reforms can break institutional inertia?
A Different Perspective
Profit motives may delay necessary action.