In the US our form of capitalism infuses our culture to the point where we don’t even realize it. Our moral and ethical values are strongly influence by the values of capitalism. For instance, if you hear someone say that so-and-so is a successful doctor, you know the person doesn’t mean that so-and-so had a good bedside manner, has alleviated a lot of suffering and saved a lot of lives. It means only that he’s made a lot of money at it. That’s how we measure success in the US, in -any- field.

An Inconvenient Truth shows the tension between our values, of profit and money on one hand, and of the earth on the other. Oil reserves are money in the ground, and there is no reason in the culture of capitalism to keep that money in the ground! Just like the lives of Dr. so-and-so’s patients, Preserving the earth for future generations doesn’t have any immediate monetary value, so as a goal it doesn’t exist!

Even the oil companies themselves are beginning to admit global warming is a problem. But the politicians and cultural warriors for capitalism still loudly proclaim it’s a sham, that Al Gore is a liar, that the whole issue is made up by subversive ‘liberals’ who only want to destroy oil company profits for some demented reason. You know the old saying “That guy would sell his own grandmother!’? Well these people are selling their own grand-children-!

In that case, it is up to an executive decision and hopefully the executive making the decision is knowledgeable in all respects, on all grounds, about all facts, and related matters.