Bangs Quote by Margaret Atwood
“Everybody was going along thinking that it was a day like any other day, and bang, down went the Twin Towers. Changed everything. So you can't really predict the future, but you can say, "Boy, are those glaciers ever melting." You can measure that, and you can say, "When they're all melted there won't be any Athabasca River," and you can say, "What will happen to the oil sands then?" because you need a lot of water to make that oil. "Where's that going to come from?" You can say things like that.”
About This Quote
The speaker highlights how unexpected events, like 9/11, can shift focus to long‑term environmental trends, using glacier melt as a measurable sign of climate change and its downstream economic impacts.
In simple terms: Unexpected crises expose hidden climate risks.
Climate change has tangible economic consequences.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Policy planning
- Corporate risk assessment
- Public awareness campaigns
- Academic research
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- Integrating climate data into financial models
- Developing water‑efficient extraction technologies
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies prepare for climate‑driven resource shortages?
- What role should governments play in mitigating these risks?