The future of mankind

[AliasAggers]

I rarely write long postings on Vocal Voices, but I have just turned up an article that I produced some years ago, which you might find of interest, as it is possibly more relevant today than when I wrote it. Here goes.....

We live on a tiny planet we call Earth, orbiting round a mediocre star called Sun, part of a massive Catherine Wheel of stars known as the Milky Way Galaxy. About six thousand stars can be seen with the naked eye but it is estimated that there are six million million altogether. The size of our galaxy and the distances involved are too great for us to comprehend. Although light travels incredibly fast, the light from our sun takes eight minutes to reach us, and that of the nearest star, four years. To travel from one side of our galaxy to the other, light takes sixty thousand years. Another similar galaxy can be seen by the unaided eye, but with a powerful telescope about 7,000 can be seen. Worlds without end! If you want to put your worldly problems into perspective, go into the country some starry night, away from the lights of built-up areas, and look upwards. Think of the incredible distances involved, and remember that each star is, in effect, an atomic bomb going off in slow motion. You cannot fail to be impressed.

We know that life on earth began millions of years ago in the planet's waters. What is not generally realised is that the chance of there being water on a planet is extremely remote. Temperature in the Solar System varies according to the distance from the sun, and there is only a small 'band' where water can exist. Any closer and it is water vapour, and further away it is ice. It so happens that the Earth's orbit lies within this band, and that is why we are here. The odds of this happening in any other star system are truly astronomical. Planet Earth may well be unique in the Galaxy.

The development of life in its many forms has taken millions of years, for Nature needs very long periods of time to effect changes. Man has only been here for a relatively short time, but has caused a tremendous shock to the system. In two hundred years or so, he will have burned all the fossilised fuel which took Nature millions of years to make. He will, in the process, damage the precious atmosphere essential for sustaining life. He has already destroyed vast areas of forest, wilfully and needlessly slaughtered countless wildlife, used pesticides without giving a thought to the consequences, and polluted rivers and seas. These are crimes which future generations will surely have to pay for. Some forms of life have already paid the supreme penalty and are now extinct. Our time will come too, if we do not mend our ways before it is too late. We are heading for the total destruction of Earth's life system.

The human race is unique in the Solar System and possibly in the Universe.. We have great resources and powers at our disposal, and, to a great extent we have the capability of determining our own destiny. Do we want our children, and their children, to inherit a dying planet? What can we do about it? In general terms we should use every opportunity we can to influence the way the human race is going. If enough people respond to the challenge there is still hope for the future. .

The human race has a way of pulling together in times of crisis, and nothing is impossible given the need to survive. It is to be hoped that future generations will not have cause to curse us, as they witness, and suffer, the death throes of our wonderful planet. Science Fiction? I think not. In support of the views expressed in this article, here is an extract from a book by James Sholte Douglas, a professional ecologist of international standing. It is most relevant.

In this day and age, Earth is a dying planet. It is slowly succumbing to the exactions and ravages of man, and unless the process is checked and reversed, before it is too late, the final result will inevitably be the total pollution and disorganisation of our world, with great loss of life. This unhappy outlook is not based on exaggerated or scaremongering predictions, but on observed facts. The position has for some time been the cause of increasing concern and mounting alarm amongst ecologists. It is feared that unless nations, governments and individuals awaken soon to the gravity of the situation, serious disasters of unprecedented magnitude will undoubtedly overtake the human race before many decades have passed.

[Workingman]

Aggers, it is a tragedy and a conundrum.

On the one hand we are making exponential advances in science, technology, engineering and so on that make some science fiction scenarios not only feasible but practical. Meeting Klingons and Vulcans and trading with them is not beyond us.

However, our current economic model of more growth and bigger profits, for ever and ever, will eventually kill us. To sustain it it needs more customers and those customers require more resources, yet those resources are finite. And getting to those ever scarcer resources uses even more of them at a growing rate and in doing so pollutes the planet that sustains us.

We have the intelligence to go far, but it is combined with the stupidity top stop ourselves in our tracks. Sadly I think that our stupidity will win.

[meriad]

Some forms of life have already paid the supreme penalty and are now extinct. Our time will come too, if we do not mend our ways before it is too late. We are heading for the total destruction of Earth's life system.

Dare I say Aggers; I firmly believe that - maybe not quite the extinction of - but a huge reduction of mankind is the only thing that will save Earth.... and more often than not am I glad that I don't have children who will be left to face the consequences of what has been done so far

[Kaz]

Call me an eternal optimist, but I think the human race will adapt and cope. I do, if course worry about my children's future, but I've always been a "glass half full" person

[AliasAggers]

Call me an eternal optimist, but I think the human race will adapt and cope.

I sincerely hope so, Kaz., but I fear that it would be a painful process, and I hope and pray that mankind will one
day seriously tackle the problem and be successful. This, however, would require drastic changes in attitudes.

[miasmum]

I agree with Ria and Kaz.

Ria because I think the world needs to implode and civilisation be greatly reduced to save itself. Like Ria, I am glad Luke is the end of the line and we have no grandchildren to grow up in this horrible world

However, like Kaz I think humankind will evolve and adapt due to the greed and selfishness of the majority.

The saddest and most dangerous thing we have lost is respect. Respect for others, for our environment and self respect.

[AliasAggers]

The saddest and most dangerous thing we have lost is respect. Respect for others, for our environment and self respect.

Sadly, I think that is mainly the case. I can't help thinking that this is largely due to the affluent society that has evolved during my lifetime, which has
caused many people to become selfish and greedy. My mother used to have a saying "Much wants more", which sums it up.