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To be young and aware is to suspect that, in the end, the debate about climate action isn’t about substance, but about rich old men trying to squeeze every last dollar, euro, and yen from their investments in outdated industries. It is to agree with the environmentalist Paul Hawken that we have an economy that steals the future, sells it in the present, and calls it GDP. It is to begin to see your elders as cannibals with golf clubs.

— Alex Steffen

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "To be young and aware is to suspect that, in the end, the debate about climate action isn’t about substance, but about rich old men trying to squeeze every last dollar, euro, and yen from their investments in outdated industries. It is to agree with the environmentalist Paul Hawken that we have an economy that steals the future, sells it in the present, and calls it GDP. It is to begin to see your elders as cannibals with golf clubs." in the context of "(18 November 2009), The GOOD Guide to COP15: The Fire this Time: Copenhagen and the War for the Future" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Alex Steffen" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Alex Steffen

About Alex Steffen

Alex Steffen (born 1968) is an American writer, editor, public speaker and futurist most noted for his bright green ideas.