So why don't politically powerful people take climate change seriously and do something about it? I don't know, I'm not politically powerful, but as humans, we are not designed to deal with "long term probabilistic threats", we are better at dealing with the immediate treat (i.e. the bear that is going to eat us, or the homework that is due in 2 hours). We as humans are not good naturally good at putting the long term good ahead of the short term good; this is true when it comes to planning our homework schedules, our diets and even the possible survival of the earth. We live in interesting times.