Can you debate my opinion as to the fate of the human race?

Question

What’s your opinion as to these points?

Unfortunately, the human race is predisposed to failure. Here are just three of the reasons why.

1) The human race is predisposed to procrastination which means that we will never try to fix something until it's "in our face". Even then, it has to be "absolutely" proven that it is recognizably affecting our "quality of life" before we will act. For example, take the environmental situation. We still have people (generally for economic reasons) fighting the preponderance of scientific data that indicates we better do something to fix the environment. They seem to think that if they are justified in doing nothing as long as they can find "any little piece of data" which "may" indicate that global warming isn't occurring. Let me ask you this; is it better to act and later discover that the situation was not as "dire" as we suspected or to do nothing and later discover that it's too late to fix???

2) We are naturally territorial (yes, like many other creatures). The problem is that the "sticks & stones" (which were replaced by fire, spears, arrows, gunpowder, etc.) we used to kill the challengers to "our territory" in the beginning have evolved into biological and nuclear weapons with the capability to poison the planet. By the way, how does territory get "claimed" anyway? I mean, at some point in the past nobody "owned" any property but now we all think we have the right to "own" that which was never "BOUGHT". BTW, yes, I "own" land and a house but I still stand by my point that neither the former owner nor I actually ever have had or currently have the rights to buy and sell it.

3) We have worldwide leadership that for the most part is either ignorant or indifferent to the truth (or, in the case of the U.S., BOTH). Without leadership, we will never make any headway and, regrettably, I believe that there are too many governments that are more concerned with either staying ahead of or catching up to, everyone else and are willing to accept the consequences of future problems in order reap the "rewards" of today.

Maybe, if we get lucky, we’ll get a “mini” version of the movie “The day after tomorrow” that will force the world into action. Unfortunately, according to the director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, James Hansen (as well as many other scientists), we have 10 or less yrs to turn it around and I don’t think we will. That’s why my wife and I have decided not to bring another life into a world that has more of a negative outlook now than it ever has. Enjoy life and live for the now because too many governments, and many corporations, are steadfast in their path to destroying the future.

Answer 1

1) I agree that people are predisposed to procrastination. It was probably a useful characteristic for our caveman ancestors, because they had to work so hard for their food they could not afford to waste energy. It is getting less and less useful though. As you point out Global Warming is a great example because we are just getting started dealing with it. Because the effects are now starting to show up it is way too late to avoid it entirely. However the sooner we start the less severe the consequences will be. The naysayers will come around eventually and we can get a lot done even without their help.

2) I agree that we are territorial but I am not sure that is necessarily bad. It does probably inhibit cooperation somewhat, but humans are also naturally cooperative. That is probably the main reason we are so smart. Scientists think that our big brains evolved mostly to help us deal with our increasingly complex and cooperative social structure. The trick is to exploit territorial qualities. Basically that is how capitalism works. If it is properly regulated the free market can be a powerful positive force. It could help with Global Warming if we change our tax system so that instead of taxing income we tax emission of CO2. Then capitalism would be working hard to try to figure out a way to reduce taxes by reduce CO2 emissions.

3) Leadership in the world is I think both better informed and more competent that you seem to think. Most foreign countries signed the Kyoto Accord for example and we would have ratified if it were not for Bush. Certainly I agree that he is the exception. He is both ignorant and incompetent. Fortunately we have to survive only a few more years of the boob, and hopefully a more competent person who knows something will be elected like Al Gore for instance.

Global Warming will be solved sooner or later and no mater how it goes humans will survive it, although it may not be much fun. Once we come out the other side the humans will have a very sound basis to go forward in the future. By the time we have figured out how to deal with Global Warming our population will have stabilized and we will be using nothing but renewable energy sources. We will of necessity have learned by that point how to live sustainably on the planet. I remain hopeful that even the near future say the next 100 years or so will not be near as bad as many people are starting to fear. Have hope.

Answer 2

(1) Procrastination means you don't waste resources, time, worry, etc on possibilities, but only spend them on the immediate problem that actually exists. We could spend too much of ourselves fixing things that later turned out not to be broken. A messed up climate may turn out to be less of a threat than a messed up economy, and if the country becomes too weak to prevent nuclear exchange, the climate won't matter at all. The climate may well have to fluctuate to keep the world healthy. The warming may be preferable to an ice age. Our contamination may only coincidentally be happening at the same time as some other factor. There may not be one right way to clean it up. Cleaning it up by any particular plan may actually make it worse. These are the reasons we need to not be too disturbed by those who move slowly. Look at all the changes in weight loss diet philosophy in the last 60 years, and see that even when we think we know what we are doing, we are more likely to suffer from hubris than from failure to try. One delightful example of the value of procrastination: While I was pregnant, I did not get around to taking thalidomide. (2) Work to turn the whole world into a single community. We have the means, for the first time since we started recording history, to do this now, and in the near future. When we are One World::One People then territoriality will mean we all work together to make our little rock a better place. We don't really buy land, even in the U.S. A deed means only that the community (as represented by the government) has granted you the use of the land. They can take it back at any time by right of eminent domain. When every citizen of the planet understands this, then the healing of Gaea can begin. (3) Bring your child into the world, bring them up responsibly, dilute the idiots' spawn with your own contribution, and maybe yours will be the world leader who is not ignorant and not indifferent. Your child may be the one to reverse the global warming damage, to stop a war, to balance the budget, or to calm the tensions between warring factions. It would be selfish for someone so thoughtful and responsible to fail to leave their legacy for the following generations.

Answer 3

You Raise Valid Points

The MAIN Reason The Human Race Is Doomed To Extinction
Will Be Lack Of Resources
Namely Food
There Is No Possible Way
That We Can Continue To Feed The Worlds Population
At The Exponential Rate That It (Population) Is Growing

We Will Starve Ourselves

Answer 4

I don't think it is humanity in general that has the problem. Most people I know want a cleaner, safer, and friendlier world. The problem lies in the world's leaders and the people with the money. People with money are in business' that are not the most eco-friendly. But they have the money, and thus, the power. They do what the want with the planet, and to blazes with the common man. Oil, deforestation, and military spending are among the chief causes. I believe that this planet is overpopulated, as well. I think that every country should limit the amount of kids you can have, just as China does. What we need to do, is put more knowledgeable people in command. Rather than the idiots that a lot of countries have. Including our own.

Answer 5

The fact that mankind has survived and prospered despite everything from asteroids to holocausts to terrorism disproves your main point. Man is here to succeed, despite all.