Another great Charlie Rose interview.

Last night, Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of “Hot, Flat, and Crowded 2.0” shared some thoughts about how political, financial and societal forces are inhibiting America’s ability to combat climate change (among many other huge issues affecting the world today).

One of highlights from the discussion include his views on how innovation and entrepreneurship — not debilitating sacrifice — are key to a strong and sustainable American economy. He also describes both the financial markets (governed by greed and fear) and mother nature (governed by chemistry, biology, and physics) as “the two most autistic forces on the planet. Autistic in the sense of feeling no emotion whatsoever.” If the Great Recession taught us anything is that when those forces react, our feelings about a crisis and its aftermath won’t matter. Failing to address the stressors affecting them now puts future generations in that much more danger.

That train of thought begins to emerge at around 23:47 in the video. One more note: Autism is a serious subject. However, while watching Friedman’s interview it’s clear that his choice of words was not a slight against those that are affected by the condition. Watch it here.

Image Credit: Charlie Rose