Is society ready to transform itself to meet the challenges of the future? My opinion is that people (society) will not change unless faced with a situation where it hurts them politically, economically, or has such dire social consequences that their mere existence is in doubt. 

I see one thing that is coming from the recent developments of global warming that is frightening. As the sea ice on the North Pole shrinks, more oil and mineral exploitation of the Arctic will occur, keeping this lie we live alive, with cheap gas, more carbon emissions, and further global warming. I have a feeling that the rising sea level will not get people's attention, as people adapt. Those who will suffer will be the poor, the unrepresented, and those least likely to be able to make the move to higher ground.  Morally, we know what is right, but in the face of choices about global warming, we won't let morals cloud our selfish desires.