Indeed, the irresponsible dealings that put us here in the first place are so complicated and risky that one can be forgiven for assuming that the traders that executed them, not to forget the chiefs and regulators that allowed them to do so, were under the weather themselves, in the 'more or less drunk' sense.
I am not going to dwell on the insane reward strategies that enable such people to effectively get off scot-free. Chris Bones articulates this only too well on p19. Instead, I have been wondering if it was any coincidence that the financial market's 'big bang' came only days after the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was switched on? For, while I am sure some financial workers must wish their CEO had been swallowed by a black hole, it strikes me that the scientists searching for the Higgs boson (God) particle are, in fact, pointing to a way out of the global mire.
Innovation - in technology, science and in new ways of working and doing business - is surely the only way forward. Given this, anything that encourages a passion in science and manufacturing should be welcomed. The Government's focus on apprenticeships (p22), British Gas's £40 million investment in engineers (www.hrmagazine.co.uk) and Rolls-Royce's support of the new engineering diplomas (p24) all offer some glimmers of hope.
Which brings me back to the weather - and climate change. In the US, presidential candidate Barack Obama has called for a $150 million investment in clean-energy technology over the next decade. Rival John McCain has suggested a $300 million prize for the company or person that creates a better battery technology for powering cars. This is the new innovation economy. But R&D requires more than money. Take the LHC project. Scientists, engineers and support staff from 111 nations are working together. Talent, innovation, skills, global collaboration, leadership, networking and technology. It's HR at its best.
