If we are going to have a long term future, there are three things that depending on how we resolve them, will determine just what shape our future will look like.
1. Population
2. Wars
3. Earth is not just our home but our ONLY home.
Do we know our limitations? Do we care what they are?
History shows the answer is no to both those questions.
In 1804, the World's population was 1 Billion people. 200 years later it's 7 Billion and counting.
6 Billion added in just 200 years. Might not seem like that many over 200 years but since the 1960's, we've been adding about 1 billion people every 12 to 13 years.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0883352.html
Now there's plenty of room to put everyone but our world is a 'closed system'. Much of the 'resources' we use are not renewable. And the ones that are, have a limited (in quanity) 'sustainability'.
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." -Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
We may or may not be 'scientists' but we also show no signs of slowing our breeding. 'Just because we can doesn't mean we should'.
Yes it opens ALL of the questions and concerns of 'who should play God(s) or 'Big Brother' but we can't even get to a place where we can openly talk about it - let alone consider options.
'Even by 2030, the world will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water, according to U.N. estimates, at a time when a changing environment is creating new limits to supply'.
'And if the world fails to tackle these problems, it risks condemning up to 3 billion people into poverty, the report said'.
From : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/world-food-demand-population-growth_n_1241435.html
'This is the way the world ends'
'Not with a bang but a whimper'.
The Hollow Men
T. S. Eliot
The World may not end but imagine the 'whimper' of 3 Billion hungry people.
And all just because we 'could' but couldn't question if we 'should'.
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