Will humanity survive the 21st century?
As you can probably ascertain from my previous post, I am what some people would consider to be a huge nerd. I like to think of myself as the Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde of nerds- I switch from being a nerd to being a socialite on command, only I don't need a potion to do it (I have found that alcohol has an unpredictable effect... it usually only amplifies whichever state I happen to be in at the time of consumption). Anyway, being an avid Star Trek fan goes along with the nerdy side of my personality. What really appeals to me about Star Trek is not just the cool toys and super-powerful starships, but also the ideology behind it that sets a goal for mankind. In the Star Trek world of the 24th century there is no money and there are no poor people. By then, the world has become a collective commune that all people are equally included in. There are no evil multinational corporations and there are no wars (at least on Earth). Earth's environment is well protected and things seem like they can't really get to be any better. As much as I would like to think that this is where we will be in another 300 years, I know that there is probably a 1/10,000th chance that man will have achieved any of these goals by then.
The Obstacles
1. "Peak Oil" and the struggle to maintain a high level of energy consumption around the globe. Oil is a finite resource, folks. It is estimated that peak world oil production should be reached somewhere between 2005 and 2015. This means that oil, which provides about 90% of the energy in the U.S. and is used for countless other things, will be more and more difficult and expensive to get in the near future. Without oil, we will be forced to make MAJOR changes in our way of life, and there will certainly be a lot of fighting over the control of the last of it (i.e. Iraq and soon to be Iran).
2. Global Warming: I don't care what Michael Crichton says, the Earth's environment is changing. You can't burn as many chemicals as we do an expect it to not have any effect on the atmosphere.
3. The threat of Nuclear War: despite the end of the Cold War, we are not as safe as we would like to think. Listen to this interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott (10MB) for a good lesson on the subject of our status in the post-Cold War era.
4. Impending economic crisis: At this moment in time, our economies (here in the "First World") have now become growingly dependant on technology. This includes electricity and communications. When I say 'communications', specifically, I am referring to satellites. With the Bush administration going forward with the weaponization of space, satellites will be in more of a threat of being destroyed intentionally or accidentally (from the collision with space debris- created from the destruction of other satellites or orbiting objects- which travel at about 17,500mph). The loss of certain satellites would have serious consequences down here on Earth. This is also covered in the interview that I mentioned previously.
While two of these things don't neccessarily mean the end of all life on Earth, they still represent something that would be a major setback in the progress of mankind. These are things that we should all be aware of and take into consideration.
The Obstacles
1. "Peak Oil" and the struggle to maintain a high level of energy consumption around the globe. Oil is a finite resource, folks. It is estimated that peak world oil production should be reached somewhere between 2005 and 2015. This means that oil, which provides about 90% of the energy in the U.S. and is used for countless other things, will be more and more difficult and expensive to get in the near future. Without oil, we will be forced to make MAJOR changes in our way of life, and there will certainly be a lot of fighting over the control of the last of it (i.e. Iraq and soon to be Iran).
2. Global Warming: I don't care what Michael Crichton says, the Earth's environment is changing. You can't burn as many chemicals as we do an expect it to not have any effect on the atmosphere.
3. The threat of Nuclear War: despite the end of the Cold War, we are not as safe as we would like to think. Listen to this interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott (10MB) for a good lesson on the subject of our status in the post-Cold War era.
4. Impending economic crisis: At this moment in time, our economies (here in the "First World") have now become growingly dependant on technology. This includes electricity and communications. When I say 'communications', specifically, I am referring to satellites. With the Bush administration going forward with the weaponization of space, satellites will be in more of a threat of being destroyed intentionally or accidentally (from the collision with space debris- created from the destruction of other satellites or orbiting objects- which travel at about 17,500mph). The loss of certain satellites would have serious consequences down here on Earth. This is also covered in the interview that I mentioned previously.
While two of these things don't neccessarily mean the end of all life on Earth, they still represent something that would be a major setback in the progress of mankind. These are things that we should all be aware of and take into consideration.
Comments
Oh, I am getting a 1500 dollar Samurai Sword so I can kill some folks in the END of DAYS!!!!!