The rapid pace of industrial and technological transformation has produced a protracted global ecological crisis. In the decades to come, climate change and resource scarcity will likely exacerbate other challenges facing the world community, including economic and social development, public health, peace and security, and refugees and migration. Pope Francis and President Xi Jinping are among the world leaders who have spoken out about the importance of coordinated international approaches to these challenges.
How different or similar are Western and Chinese approaches to the climate change and other dimensions of the global ecological crisis? How might civilizational dialogue promote shared interests and a common agenda around environmental challenges? Author Thomas L. Friedman and Professor Wang Jisi discussed these questions with Georgetown University's Paul Elie.
Thomas L. Friedman is a New York Times columnist and best-selling author.
Wang Jisi is a professor at Beijing University and a leading international relations scholar.
Paul Elie is a senior fellow at Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and an author and literary critic.
