Protecting the Planet While Great Powers Compete It wouldn’t take long for the world to see that families and businesses, operating in a free market, will yield far better environmental and economic results than any government policy ever could. And that would be U.S. global leadership. This blue dot in space is the only planet we have. We must take care of it. Like any other great challenge, this demands a seriousness of effort paired with the honesty and courage to insist on practical, realistic, efficacious policies. The planet doesn’t know we have national borders. We do. It’s a reality that can’t be ignored and won’t change. The idea of erasing the freedoms of peoples and the sovereignty of nations to address environmental issues is unrealistic and unnecessary. Nations will cooperate and compete, just like in any other matter of international affairs.