One man's waste is another man's investment opportunity

WHAT do tackling climate change and succeeding in investing in risk assets over a longer term have in common? The answer: our brains haven't evolved to deal with either.

We are hardwired to be short-term thinkers. Our hominid minds remain the same as those of our ancestors. Primed to be alert for imminent threats, we don't have the fully refined instincts to respond to dangers looming in the future (maybe check back in a few million years).

Then there's the emotional factor. Spotting a wolf pacing around the edge of the forest triggered a rush of fear so intense that our forefathers sprinted away. No higher-level pre-frontal cortex thinking was required. Our emotions are best adapted for life as once lived.