his office wall. “Because one thing is sure: If you let nature rule from
this point then in 50 or 60 years there will be no Venice left at all.”
While Venetians may feel unprepared in comparison to the Dutch,
they are far ahead of the United States (and much of the rest of the
world) in their recognition that global warming is a threat that cannot
be ignored. The Venetians and Dutch helped invent globalization,
dominating international commerce back at a time when much of
America had yet to be mapped. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that
they are ahead of the rest of us in confronting the threats posed by
global warming and planning accordingly. “I do think that at some
point the U.S. will take the lead for the world on these issues,” Ott says.
“But for now, we Europeans are the countries where [parliamentary]
majorities vote for the environment and are ready to plan ahead.”
38 Colin Woodard