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Vortex
Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 6106
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 Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Andy Hunt wrote: | I know it's maybe a bit unfashionable here, but I actually have quite a lot of faith in humanity to solve the problems we face.
The transition period might not be very pretty, but I think we will end up somewhere much better at the end of it all. A cathartic experience, you might say. |
I feel that you are right ... but it could well be the operational researchers, the software engineers, the physicists, the chemists, the engineers who will be The Fifth Cavalry riding to the rescue ... not The Greens.
They will of course be supported/controlled by the politicians and the military ... i.e. The Usual Suspects.
HEADQUARTERS OF "SAVE THE EARTH" PROJECT, Central Australia, 2024
"Well, Professor Grimsdyke, your global cooling gadget seems to work - but maybe, just maybe, you should have included a STOP button?"
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Andy Hunt
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Posts: 6761
Location: Bury, Lancashire, UK
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Vortex wrote: | it could well be the operational researchers, the software engineers, the physicists, the chemists, the engineers who will be The Fifth Cavalry riding to the rescue ... not The Greens.
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What's the difference? Some of the most promising science at the moment which looks capable of solving our problems is based on 'biomimicry' - i.e. copying nature's own designs to engineer solutions for humanity.
A couple of recent stories along these lines:
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/en...860250,00.html
| Quote: | | A new generation of small green companies is emerging with radical but proven ideas to revolutionise engineering and create anything from intelligent fridges to colossal wind turbines moored at sea. |
http://www.sciencenow.org.au/sciencenow/deanna_alessandro.htm
| Quote: | | We have been able to construct synthetic porphyrins. More than 100 of them can be assembled around a tree-like core called a dendrimer to mimic the wheel-shaped arrangement in natural photosynthetic systems. |
Synthetic leaves also have the advantage that they can remove atmospheric co2 using the energy from solar radiation, and convert it into hydrocarbon fuels, killing two birds with one stone - mitigating climate change, and providing a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels.
Looks like the hippies were right after all - the scientists just needed to be shown the intelligent way to go.
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Andy Hunt
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
| Eternal Sunshine wrote: |
I wouldn't want to worry you with the truth.  |
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isenhand
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Posts: 1296
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Vortex wrote: |
If we had had an semi-Amish-like religion/culture we might have obtained the benefits without becoming "consumers".
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I doubt if we would have got any benefits with a religious based society. History is full of societies where religion dominates and they don?t, to me, give a good model to work on. I think very much the opposite, if we had taken a more rational view to things and equalled out society a bit more and balanced our needs with reality. Settled into a state of equilibrium, as the Matrix quote said.
| Vortex wrote: |
I suspect that current humans have been moulded by the endless processes of evolution to be a very tough & mean bunch ... Nice Guys don't win the evolution race.
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There might be some truth in that. After all we did not evolve to live in an industrial society but a hunter gather one with all it shortages, diseases and violence.
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Last edited by isenhand on Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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isenhand
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Posts: 1296
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Andy Hunt wrote: | I know it's maybe a bit unfashionable here, but I actually have quite a lot of faith in humanity to solve the problems we face.
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I think we have the ability to solve our problems but I don?t think that the ability to actually think of a workable solution lies with a minority. I think a minority will lead the way and the majority will just follow when things get bad if it can be shown to work.
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The only future we have is the one we make!
Technocracy:
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http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/ |
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