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Thomas Friedman: Bring sustainable values back to the market and Mother Nature - DSDS 2013

1,381 views · Published 1 February 2013 · 54:05 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: TERI · 2013 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Mr Thomas L. Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist for The New York Times, in conversation with Mr Nitin Desai, Distinguished Fellow at TERI & Former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2013.

Mr Friedman pointed out that today in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Skype, we live in a hyper-connected world. This enables a burgeoning middle class to demand better governance. He said the world is shaped by two gigantic forces- Markets and Mother Nature. On both these accounts, the world is currently underpricing the risk, privatizing the gains, and socializing the losses.  He said we need to bring sustainable values back to both these forces. He expressed disappointment at the Obama regime for not doing anything to address the issue of climate change. He said a systemic problem needs a systemic response. Everything else is a hobby.

A planet of 7 billion people, a number that is growing every minute, is likely to face increased conflicts over scarce resources. So unless we begin to use our resources efficiently, we are likely to reach tipping points that will not only harm our own well-being, but also that of our future generations. The decisions we make today will define our tomorrow.

It is in this context that DSDS 2013 deliberated upon 'The Global Challenge of Resource Efficient Growth and Development'. For more information, visit http://dsds.teriin.org.

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