Big Ups: Wonders of our world
“Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works.” — Carl Sagan
From our respective spots atop this spectacular planet of ours, it is surprisingly easy to feel isolated in our routines, and even in the thoughts we think on a given day. Due to various phenomena, we might even question the simple truth of things we can easily perceive and analyze with our senses, and understand with our extraordinary intelligence.
Having left us in 1996, American astronomer, science communicator, and author Carl Sagan provided humanity with a sacred gift the following year. His New York Times best-selling book The Demon-Haunted World delivered an impassioned warning about our collective “dumbing down,” attributing it to “a kind of celebration of ignorance.”
Stepping back to 1985, Mr. Sagan testified before the U.S. Congress to address climate change [link]. To end his succinct and illuminating deposition, he summarized the essential aspect of turning the tide: Doing so, he told us all, requires us to adopt a global consciousness. Why?
- Resolving the underlying issues requires a shift from short-term to long-term thinking
- The effects of climate change on Earth are inter-generational, impacting ALL life on the planet
