The Hubris that Kills Us

I saw a good Frontline piece on the Fukishima nuclear disaster and how the Japanese are dealing with it.  They interviewed a young mother at a little league baseball game who had to move out of the contaminated zone.

They asked her what she thought about it all.  She gave a simple response:

"We should not build things that human beings cannot control." 

Then she said, "I'm scared."

She looked down, paused, then. "I'm scared."

Reminds me of BP's Deepwater Royal Screw Up and hundreds of other examples.  And it resonates when I hear about drilling in the Arctic or when we act like we have plenty of time to correct the build-up of carbon.

It's the hubris that kills us every time.

Webster's Definition of hubris: exaggerated pride or self-confidence

Here's the episode.