Engineering the Planet What Compels us to do so?

Consumption is Good?  This depends entirely on where you are in history.  Does history have a moral obligation to preserve itself?  Is the highest form of enlightenment really consumerism?  Is the increase in global inequity worth the price of consumption?

Critical Question  Can This Century also stand a 4-fold increase in world population (from 6 to 24 billion)  Remember, consumption is good so why not stay the course?  Will the emerging world market of China promote this kind of growth in the same way the industrial revolution did?

A Century of Change (1900 (=1) vs. 2000)  Industrial Output: 40 (Newtonian footprint)  Marine Fish Catch: 35  CO 2 Emissions: 17  Total Energy Use: 16  Coal Production: 7  World Population: 4  Forest Area: 0.8

Probable Climate Change as our Legacy of Consumption

Science, Technology, Humanity  We are special (different than other animals)  We are uniquely positioned at the center of the Universe (reflects our “specialness”)  The Universe is ordered, logical and rational  With the application of Reason, humankind is unbounded  The Newtonian world shows us the machine and it is precise

Continued  Life is a struggle; competition is natural; gradual change occurs (Darwin)  Science now certifies  Survival of the fittest and the engineering of society to protect that outcome (Spencer)  The notion of uncertainty, as a valid scientific concept, arises too late in this process

Example of the Malthusian Footprint Human activities/growth obliterate equilibrium time scales: for instance, the current excess injection of CO 2 into the atmosphere is 26% of the equilibrium rate Human activities/growth obliterate equilibrium time scales: for instance, the current excess injection of CO 2 into the atmosphere is 26% of the equilibrium rate A HUGE PERTURBATION

Our Current Situation Lack of complete physical understanding that the Earth is a connected system. Inability to enact long term proactive strategies and decision making Inability to deal with data ambiguity and complexity– we want an expert to tell us so We don’t respond unless there is a

Fundamental Reason No Wisdom has yet been applied to planetary management Whose to blame for this? Every One of Us

NATURE GOD HUMANS TREES ROCKS Connectivity Of Atoms Disconnected States HUMANS TREES ROCKS Super Nova Everything Is Connected to Everything Certainty Entitlement Aarogance Wisdom Enlightenment Humility