Asia Pacific Vision Limited: Broadcast and Video Production

New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman has been in Hong Kong, where he spoke at an Asia Society luncheon to promote his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - And How it Can Renew America.

In his opening remarks, Friedman explained the three key concepts that make up the book's title, and frame its call to action.

Friedman also pointed to five global megatrends that are the result of the world becoming Hot, Flat, and Crowded; namely, energy and natural resource imbalances, petrodictatorship, climate change, energy poverty, and biodiversity loss. And despite that litany of crises, Friedman is optimistic that there is a solution.

However, Friedman does not look to governments to develop this solution. Instead, he says he is confident that the answers to energy issues will come from the private sector.

Looking toward the Asia Pacific region, Friedman acknowledges that the economic and geopolitical rise of both China and India presents even greater challenges to the development of global solutions, and that sovereignty issues can get in the way of self-interest. But while he understands the sentiments, Friedman is also direct about the outcome.

And finally, returning to issues within the United States, Friedman cautions President-elect Barack Obama that he will need to take the lead in addressing the issues he focuses on in his book. Without leadership, he cautions, there will be no progress.