--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Global warming, environmental…" description: "\"“Global warming, environmental degradation, global flows of economic speculation and risk taking, overpopulation, global debt, new viruses, terrorism a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/james-paul-gee-44261_big-questions_global-warming-environmental-degradation_1119748.png" --- # Global warming, environmental degradation, global flows of… ![“Global warming, environmental degradation, global flows of economic speculation and risk taking, overpopulation, global debt, new viruses, terrorism and warfare, and political polarization are killing us. Dealing with big questions takes a long-term view, cooperation, delayed gratification, and…” quote by James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/james-paul-gee-44261_big-questions_global-warming-environmental-degradation_1119748.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/james-paul-gee-44261_big-questions_global-warming-environmental-degradation_1119748.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/james-paul-gee-44261_big-questions_global-warming-environmental-degradation_1119748.png) > ““Global warming, environmental degradation, global flows of economic speculation and risk taking, overpopulation, global debt, new viruses, terrorism and warfare, and political polarization are killing us. Dealing with big questions takes a long-term view, cooperation, delayed gratification, and deep learning that crosses traditional silos of knowledge production. All of these are in short supply today. In the United States and much of the developed world, decisions are based on short-term interests and gain (e.g., stock prices or election cycles), as well as pandering to ignorance. Such decisions make the world worse, not better, and bring Armageddon ever closer.”” [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that many pressing global issues are exacerbated by short‑term thinking, lack of cooperation, and siloed knowledge, urging a long‑term, interdisciplinary approach. **In simple terms:** Short‑term focus harms long‑term problems. Key Takeaway Adopt long‑term, collaborative strategies. Themes environment politics economics health security Mood concerned urgent critical Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - corporate strategy - public health planning - climate action Key Concepts systems thinking interdisciplinary research delayed gratification global governance Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions incentivize long‑term thinking? - What barriers prevent interdisciplinary collaboration? A Different Perspective Complex problems need coordinated action across sectors, which is difficult to achieve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-questions/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Degradation Global](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degradation-global-3022471/) [Delayed gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delayed-gratification/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Environmental degradation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental-degradation/) [Global warming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-warming/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Ignorance Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-decisions-3022470/) [Overpopulation Global](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overpopulation-global-3022472/) [Risk taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-taking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-decisions-1334518/) ## Related quotes > [BRICS meetings are keenly watched world over, and our decisions have profound impact globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushma-swaraj/brics-meetings-are-keenly-watched-world-over-and-our-decisions-have/) [Sushma Swaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushma-swaraj/) > [Certainly you can't just live in sort of a Pollyanna world where decisions don't have to be made, but I also fight back sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/certainly-you-can-t-just-live-in-sort-of-a-pollyanna-world-where/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [I realised early on that there were two groups of people in the world: those who made the decisions and those who had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bronwyn-bishop/i-realised-early-on-that-there-were-two-groups-of-people-in-the-world/) [Bronwyn Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bronwyn-bishop/) > [There are no good nor bad people in this world, only decisions and opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rehn/there-are-no-good-nor-bad-people-in-this-world-only-decisions-and/) [Rehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rehn/) > [Love is the wanting, and the having, and the choosing, and the becoming. Love is the desire to see the person we love be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/love-is-the-wanting-and-the-having-and-the-choosing-and-the-becoming/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [Reading a novel in which all characters illustrate patience, hard work, chastity, and delayed gratification could be a pretty dull experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perry/reading-a-novel-in-which-all-characters-illustrate-patience-hard-work/) [Thomas Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perry/) > [Delayed gratification is a sweet lesson whose teacher knows the best is not right now, it is yet to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/delayed-gratification-is-a-sweet-lesson-whose-teacher-knows-the-best/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [Delayed gratification is the one thing we ignore these days. And if you delay it, it becomes more pleasurable later in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/delayed-gratification-is-the-one-thing-we-ignore-these-days-and-if/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [“high-reactive child’s ideal parent: someone who “can read your cues and respect your individuality; is warm and firm in placing demands on you without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/high-reactive-child-s-ideal-parent-someone-who-can-read-your-cues-and/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [All things come to those who wait,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-fane/all-things-come-to-those-who-wait/) [Violet Fane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violet-fane/) > [“success awaits those who steadfastly commit to any requisite sacrifice”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-poirot/success-awaits-those-who-steadfastly-commit-to-any-requisite-sacrifice/) [Ken Poirot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-poirot/) > [I am convinced that it will not be long before the whole world acknowledges the results of my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregor-mendel/i-am-convinced-that-it-will-not-be-long-before-the-whole-world/) [Gregor Mendel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregor-mendel/) > [Great investing requires a lot of delayed gratification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/great-investing-requires-a-lot-of-delayed-gratification/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [“Resistance outwits the amateur with the oldest trick in the book: It uses his own enthusiasm against him. Resistance gets us to plunge into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/resistance-outwits-the-amateur-with-the-oldest-trick-in-the-book-it/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [“Actually, the substitution of the reality-principle for the pleasure-principle denotes no dethronement of the pleasure-principle, but only a safeguarding of it. A momentary pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/actually-the-substitution-of-the-reality-principle-for-the-pleasure/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) ## More by James Paul Gee > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/an-academic-discipline-or-any-other-semiotic-domain-for-that-matter/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“Our world is now so complex, our technology and science so powerful, and our problems so global and interconnected that we have come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/our-world-is-now-so-complex-our-technology-and-science-so-powerful/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“people like stories because they are good, not because they are true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/people-like-stories-because-they-are-good-not-because-they-are-true/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [Learning is a deep human need, like mating and eating, and like all such needs it is meant to be deeply pleasurable to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/learning-is-a-deep-human-need-like-mating-and-eating-and-like-all/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [Gamers co-author the games they play by the choices they make and how they choose to solve problems, since what they do can affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/gamers-co-author-the-games-they-play-by-the-choices-they-make-and-how/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“human intelligence and creativity, today more than ever, are tied to connecting—synchronizing—people, tools, texts, digital and social media, virtual spaces, and real spaces in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/human-intelligence-and-creativity-today-more-than-ever-are-tied-to/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“School is often based not on problem solving, which perforce involves actions and goals, but on learning information, facts, and formulas that one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/school-is-often-based-not-on-problem-solving-which-perforce-involves/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [Video games provide an easy lead-in to computer literacy. They can get you thinking like a video game designer and can even lead to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/video-games-provide-an-easy-lead-in-to-computer-literacy-they-can-get/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) [Explore all 9 James Paul Gee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) ## More Big questions quotes > ['SoulPancake' is a website that I founded with a couple of friends, and it is for exploring life's big questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/soulpancake-is-a-website-that-i-founded-with-a-couple-of-friends-and/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [Many people in their teens wonder about these big questions - what's the meaning of life, what are we doing here - then somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/many-people-in-their-teens-wonder-about-these-big-questions-what-s/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I have no doubt, if people are really seeking the big questions, it will lead them to the Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/i-have-no-doubt-if-people-are-really-seeking-the-big-questions-it/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [I love Big Themes. Films that ask big questions about technology, society, mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/i-love-big-themes-films-that-ask-big-questions-about-technology/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [Religion gives you a sense of certainty. It makes you feel that you have the right answers to really big questions and that youve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/religion-gives-you-a-sense-of-certainty-it-makes-you-feel-that-you/) [James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/) > [I like the big questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-turlington/i-like-the-big-questions/) [Christy Turlington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-turlington/) > [Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/do-those-things-that-incline-you-toward-the-big-questions-and-avoid/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > ['Why are we here?' 'What is our purpose? 'Is there an afterlife?' 'Is there a God?' 'Is it all about science?' Those are big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/why-are-we-here-what-is-our-purpose-is-there-an-afterlife-is-there-a/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [I do find that I tend to write about big questions. Why are we here? What are we doing? How do we relate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-fallon/i-do-find-that-i-tend-to-write-about-big-questions-why-are-we-here/) [Brian Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-fallon/) > [I've always been into asking the big questions; I'm the last guy out the door at closing time cuz I was sittin' around 'til…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kowalczyk/i-ve-always-been-into-asking-the-big-questions-i-m-the-last-guy-out/) [Ed Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kowalczyk/) > [In a very small way, painting addresses the 'Big Questions' to which we'll never find the answers. You do what you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-messer/in-a-very-small-way-painting-addresses-the-big-questions-to-which-we/) [Sam Messer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-messer/) > [The world of money, of numbers and stock markets and interest rates and credit cards, seems on the surface about as far as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/the-world-of-money-of-numbers-and-stock-markets-and-interest-rates/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [I started asking the big questions that I had asked in college, that my compatriots the Greek philosophers had asked, like 'what is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/i-started-asking-the-big-questions-that-i-had-asked-in-college-that/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [I first started asking big questions when I was 12, and by big questions, I mean, 'Why are we here? What is this business?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/i-first-started-asking-big-questions-when-i-was-12-and-by-big/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [“There are big questions science doesn’t answer, such as why is there something rather than nothing? There can’t be a scientific answer to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/there-are-big-questions-science-doesn-t-answer-such-as-why-is-there/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Browse all 142 Big questions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-questions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Global warming, environmental degradation, global flows of economic speculation and risk taking, overpopulation, global debt, new viruses, terrorism and warfare, and political polarization are killing us. 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