Take a Cool Guess—The Fun Quiz on Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability. Today’s Topic: Scientists Warn Humanity
Question: In 1992, 1,700 independent scientists signed the “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity.” The letter warned that “human beings and the natural world are on a collision course” and if environmental damage was not stopped, our future was at risk. Yesterday, that warning was repeated and clarified by how many scientists, representing how many countries?
Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.
Relevance: The letter essentially says that if there is not a groundswell of public pressure to change human behavior, the planet will sustain “substantial and irreversible” harm. “This is not about some natural phenomenon that is removed from humans,” said Ripple, a distinguished professor of ecology at Oregon State University. “If we don’t have a healthy biosphere, as it is called, if we continue to have major environmental problems and climate change problems, then this goes directly to the welfare of humans. People need to understand that we are trying to save ourselves from catastrophic misery.”
Craig,
“human beings and the natural world are on a collision course” and if environmental damage was not stopped, our future was at risk”.
Y’know, scientists are just the latest (an probably most credible) of a long line of doomsday prophets with dire predictions for the fate of humanity and our planet.
I would imagine there was some purse-lipped arms-folded, self-righteous prophet of doom shaking his head in disapproval when Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity !
This is not to say, we shouldn’t be reckless and ignore all scientific theories, simply try to restore a sense of perspective.
1968 saw the publication of Paul Ehrlich’s influential book, The Population Bomb. The intellectual think tank, The Club of Rome seized upon EHrlich’s claims and quickly arrange for a UN ‘consensus’ of leading scientists who agreed !977 would be the year “the stork would pass the the plough.”
With “irrefutable” scientific evidence the Scientists demanded world governments institute programs to prevent population increase beyond 4 billion, as with 5 billion the earth food re4sources would collapse and never recover. An interesting film, “no Blade of grass” was produced and the danger was widely accepted by the worlds leading scientists and academics.
Anyone daring to disagree was shouted down.
Fortunately, the irreversible famine never occurred and as the planet heads toward a population of 8 billion souls, food production is increasing apace.
The 50’s “Ban the Bomb” movement reached a level of hysteria convinced of imminent Armageddon. 60 years later, we’re all still here.
Each generation throws up it’s hysterical Doomsters, that doesn’t mean scientists should be ignored or silenced, but nor should their critics .
An interesting film, “no Blade of grass” was produced and the danger was widely accepted by the worlds leading scientists and academics.
Issac,
By the time of the films release in 1970 it became just one of an entire genre of apocalyptic movies.
Unfortunately for the Club of Rome, leading scientists and academics and true believers, 1977-8 proved to be years of unprecedented global agricultural surplus.
The dramatic increase in prices of oil in the mid-seventies was created by OPEC, but that didn’t stop scientists and academics switching apocalyptic visions to a world without oil.
For the next 35 years the theory first postulated by M. King Hubbert of “peak oil” became fashionable. Again a “consensus” of leading scientists and academics confidently predicted an apocalypse caused by the imminent shortage of oil.
( Mad Max/Road Warrior etc)
These apocalyptic vision don’t fail to eventuate because wise scientists and academic recognize the danger and act to rectify the situation ! The disasters never occur because the doomsday prophets fail to take into considerations other dynamics that may not fir into their exciting vision or ideology.