Dr. Bart Elmore explores how business executives’ emphasis on improving efficiency in operations can distract them from the hard work of radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and challenge us to consider what we can do as individuals to address this dilemma. Bart first became passionate about environmental justice while trekking and paddling through the woods and streams of North Georgia. He soon discovered he wanted to be an educator when teaching in Savannah, Georgia, and then went north to study environmental history, which he now teaches with an eye towards finding lessons from the past that can create a more ecologically sustainable future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx