Can we save our delicate civilization ?
What will the future generation after 3000 years find when the archeologists start excavation — batteries; plastic toys, bags, cups; pieces of tough hard disks and rubber wires; remains of Virtual Reality glasses; tires and some advanced fuel efficient or electric car remains? On a positive note I am sure they will also find the ancient civilization monuments like the Pyramids.
I always get fascinated to see the wonders of old civilizations of Aztec, Roman, Indian, Egyptian, Mayan, Machu Picchu of Peru and historic monuments like ‘The Great Pyramids’, ‘Stonehenge’, ‘Parthenon of Greece’, ‘The Colosseum of Rome’ and many more. The monuments built in those generations were so strong that they stand tall after thousands of years. Natural disasters or meteor strikes or wars, they are still strong and sturdy as we see from the excavations.
When I think of today’s buildings and monuments I really doubt if anything can stand the atomic or nuclear bombs, natural disasters — cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Twin towers and many other buildings around the world were rumbled to ground. A drone attack plunders the cities. The houses and civilizations of today easily go to ashes either with a short circuit or a cigarettes' butt. To accommodate population, our builders have found smarter ways to stack people in multi-story buildings of wood, metal or glass.
Metaverse and virtual world
The next generation, in a few decades, will be ‘virtual world’ — just like living in dreams which vanish when we open our eyes. It may save a lot of travel if the global meetings are virtual. Will it reduce the traffic on the roads, air travels — I am wish it will. On the other hand, will it make me more lazy and I will see less sunlight and people. It is still early for me to comment but I have my hope, we will continue to respect human relationships.
Virtual coins and currency, virtual relationships, virtual behaviors and language script, virtual carvings, virtual houses in Minecraft, virtual games and almost everything stored in the cloud or databases which can vanish with a press of a button. Dozens of books I have on my kindle can vanish with a reset button or a server error. Thankfully I have paper books(notice how I have to explicitly say ‘paper’ books). This article you are reading can cease to exists in seconds by one wrong command accidently entered by an Engineer sitting in Medium’s office.
Pause for a moment and think.
Are our leaders and corporate conglomerates really thinking of long term goals and future generations?
- I have reduced using plastic bags but then I think paper bags were made through trees
- I plan to buy an electric car but then I think of the industries to build these specialized batteries and if they are biodegradable as against the natural resource oil. The comparison sheet is a separate topic in itself which I would love to hear if someone has details to share.
- Revolution in smartphone, laptops industry and now planning for Virtual Reality gadgets — more electronic chips, more industrial wastes, are we really saving climate. I get confused when I see so many leaders flying on their jets to meet and dine and talk about ‘How to save climate’. I don’t know how much money, energy, resources are spent in each meet — how much fuel, air conditioning, heating is used for a discussion on ‘climate change’.
Is it innovation for humanity or innovation to make quick, better and smarter money?
- Whenever I go to get groceries and see large refrigerated processed food isles I think of the industrial plants to process these foods, transport and store them to increase their shelf life — technically which are not hygienic as I read in many medical journals.
Sometimes I think it is all the money game and in corporate language, how to keep the shareholders happy? The buzz words keep changing — from unhealthy food to organic or from oil energy to wind energy to hydro energy to solar energy. We have short memory span so after every few years a new version of healthy food and climate change comes up.
- ‘Alternate energy’ became the buzz word and financial corporations now have ‘Alternative Energy funds’ to lure people showing how concerned they are about the climate.
“If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money” — Guy McPherson
A discussion with a different people from different generations and backgrounds will give a better sense of understanding and direction. Let us not leave out anthropologists, farmers, doctors, a common man, seniors, students, philosophers, historians out of the discussion. Climate change is not just for those who are leaders of nations or scientists or having qualification in climate change.
We need to have a larger perspective and unbiased opinion and find a human centric solution rather than just some scientific options.
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything” — Albert Einstein
