The issue of global climate change was identified decades ago.
In fact, it was first noted in the media in the 1930s, when a
prolonged period of warm weather demanded explanation, yet
interest in the matter disappeared as cooler temperatures
returned. For the past decade, most experts have accepted
climate change as a fact, making the issue difficult to
ignore—yet many politicians, and the voters who elect them, have
done exactly that. Scientists, policymakers, and others have
come up with good ideas to address climate change and other
energy issues including oil, transportation, and electricity
policies; carbon capture and storage; and the generation of
innovative energy solutions; many of the core aspects of these
ideas were developed long ago. However, predictable cognitive,
organizational, and political barriers prevent us from
addressing energy problems despite clearly identified courses of
action. This article borrows from the “predictable surprises”
framework that Harvard Business School professor Mich