The Titanic has a hole in its hull and it’s taking on water.

We’re past needing to keep measure the flow rate and size of the hole. It’s time to act.

I support continued science, education, and legislation, but what is missing from pollution and climate change is effective leadership. Billions of people want to reduce their contributions to global warming but feel their efforts would be wasted if few others acted too.

People want to know their actions will make a difference, to feel part of a community, to expect their actions will improve their lives, not become pointless sacrifice and deprivation.

Leaders give people’s action meaning and purpose. Nobody is leading so few people feel their actions are meaningful.

I intend to change that. Leading and influencing billions of people sounds crazy, but without it, the laws won’t pass, organizations will change too slowly, and nature will change faster the society can adjust.

So I’m going to give it a shot. I don’t know how far I’ll get, but I’m trying and I see no one else doing it. You will leave knowing that you can make a difference. That your actions will improve your life, help clean the Earth’s air and water, and give you the chance to take a leadership role in a movement and community whose time has come and will grow across the city, nation, and globe.

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

Here are some relevant posts that complement the talk:

• A recent post on the New York Times’ take on Antarctica’s ice melting
• A post with charts of CO2 emissions for flying to LA, Paris, and Shanghai (plus a link to the source)
• A post on how the U.N. is trying to change institutions but not people

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

See me THIS TUESDAY, at NYU-STERN, 6pm-8pm. Register here, through my meetup group.

• ← Nelson Mandela: leadership doesn’t come from authority [video]
• The Leadership and the Environment Podcast: It Starts Here and Now →