The Human Race Could Benefit From Better Planning and Vision

Frequent commenter Cameron Atwood sent me this gem on sustainability from a beautifully wise and youthful 76-year-old oceanographer Sylvia Earle that I heartily recommend.  Audio is here.

Thanks, Cameron.  That’s an incredible insight into our responsibilities as human beings vis-a-vis planning for the future.

I’m reminded of my friend Tom Konrad, whom I interviewed for my 2nd book, who said, “We’ve evolved as hunter-gatherers, whose premise is: if it worked last year, we’ll do it again this year.  Long-range planning is not our strong suit.  I don’t want to offend the creationists, but if we had been designed, we would not have that flaw.”

Dr. Earle brings up a good point about politics.  All the major decisions are made by the most powerful forces on Earth, in both the public and private sectors.  It seems to me that the best “we the people” can do is to raise our voices loud enough that a meaningful level of pressure is brought to bear on them, to the effect that we demand sustainable solutions.

For example, I try to express that we will not tolerate a de facto energy policy that is built around fossil fuels.  Having said this, let’s acknowledge that energy policy is just one of the dozens of important elements of a just and sustainable society.