One thing I found an interesting parallel the other day was how we still do not plan or prepare for the inevitable peak of oil capacity, the subsequent explosion in demand (and skyrocketing prices) and the eventual loss of the oil supplies could cripple every westernised nation in the world, causing absolute chaos. Our fundamental reliance on oil is one of the biggest threats we face yet the oil companies still focus mainly on how to get more oil (despite BP claiming 'greener' alternatives are being developed) rather than in planning for the future.
The parallel is this, for the disposal of nuclear waste we must plan for future generations perhaps as much as 100,000 years into the future, there are strict rules and guidelines that govern this in the western world and everything must be stringently tested and proven (as much as can be) that they will last for such an extended period of time. Why is it that we can plan for something so far away, let falter in something that every day seems so close.
(as a final note, if anyone mentions hybrid cars I will hit them, they are only a stop gap)