The Future is not a place where I'd like to live in
Many a times, I become paranoid when I think about the future of humanity. A few of the reasons are
a.) Reckless consumption of Energy
Today, our lives are extremely energy intensive and it is highly unlikely that we will be able to sustain this for thirty years from now. Our lives are totally dependent on the availability of oil for transportation. No food item that I consume is grown withing a radius of 20Km from my house. Living in a city, this is to be expected. But what happens when the world runs out of oil? Even the politicians agree that it likely to happen in the next 50 years. Many experts say, we will start feeling the pinch in another 20. How will the worlds cities survive then? Ho will I get food to eat? The idea that 'scientists will do something' seems too naive and panglossian.
b.) Heavy duty screwing of nature
Today, we humans, screw up the earth like never before. We consume resources like hell. We pollute every possible natural resource in every conceiveable fashion like there is no tomorrow. All our rivers are polluted. Fertile land is contaminated with chemicals. Ozone layer is getting punctured more and more. And the list is endless. We consider ourselves to be the masters of nature whilst we are nothing but a spec in this vast expanse. Cant even imagine what would happen in India when the Ganges becomes a seasonal river.
c.) Wars
We humans have somehow lost the gene that prevents a species from killing its own kind. India and Pakistan trying to destroy each other. Israel and Palestine form another great pair. No need to talk about US and Iran/North Korea. Such rivalries in history have invariably lead to great blood shed. History repeats itself and only fools will ignore it. So, the next major war could just be around the corner. The only difference between the previous wars in history and the current scenario is that one wrong decision by some stupid politician sitting somewhere in the globe, could easily mean total annihilation.
d.) Exploitation
We exploit others to the extent that we have totally become blind to the atrocities that are committed every day in front of our very eyes. Poverty, illiteracy, child mortality are all mere words and statistics without any feelings and emotions. The more a section is exploited, the more violent will their upheaval be. Millions in India and in other third world countries are deprived of basic sanitation, potable water, primary health care etc... How long can this exploitation continue?
Thinking of these makes me paranoid. There is a major catastrophe awaiting us humans in the coming years. With great power, comes great responsibility. Nature gave humans great power, but we have failed miserably in excercising that power. I dont feel very comfortable thinking of all these. The future of human kind appears extremely bleak and it certainly does not appear to be a place where I'd like to live in.
Many a times, I become paranoid when I think about the future of humanity. A few of the reasons are
a.) Reckless consumption of Energy
Today, our lives are extremely energy intensive and it is highly unlikely that we will be able to sustain this for thirty years from now. Our lives are totally dependent on the availability of oil for transportation. No food item that I consume is grown withing a radius of 20Km from my house. Living in a city, this is to be expected. But what happens when the world runs out of oil? Even the politicians agree that it likely to happen in the next 50 years. Many experts say, we will start feeling the pinch in another 20. How will the worlds cities survive then? Ho will I get food to eat? The idea that 'scientists will do something' seems too naive and panglossian.
b.) Heavy duty screwing of nature
Today, we humans, screw up the earth like never before. We consume resources like hell. We pollute every possible natural resource in every conceiveable fashion like there is no tomorrow. All our rivers are polluted. Fertile land is contaminated with chemicals. Ozone layer is getting punctured more and more. And the list is endless. We consider ourselves to be the masters of nature whilst we are nothing but a spec in this vast expanse. Cant even imagine what would happen in India when the Ganges becomes a seasonal river.
c.) Wars
We humans have somehow lost the gene that prevents a species from killing its own kind. India and Pakistan trying to destroy each other. Israel and Palestine form another great pair. No need to talk about US and Iran/North Korea. Such rivalries in history have invariably lead to great blood shed. History repeats itself and only fools will ignore it. So, the next major war could just be around the corner. The only difference between the previous wars in history and the current scenario is that one wrong decision by some stupid politician sitting somewhere in the globe, could easily mean total annihilation.
d.) Exploitation
We exploit others to the extent that we have totally become blind to the atrocities that are committed every day in front of our very eyes. Poverty, illiteracy, child mortality are all mere words and statistics without any feelings and emotions. The more a section is exploited, the more violent will their upheaval be. Millions in India and in other third world countries are deprived of basic sanitation, potable water, primary health care etc... How long can this exploitation continue?
Thinking of these makes me paranoid. There is a major catastrophe awaiting us humans in the coming years. With great power, comes great responsibility. Nature gave humans great power, but we have failed miserably in excercising that power. I dont feel very comfortable thinking of all these. The future of human kind appears extremely bleak and it certainly does not appear to be a place where I'd like to live in.
3 comments:
I was thinking about the same thing a week back. I had this final question I ended on.
if there is a VERY good chance that we are gonna get screwed, is it sensible for us to waste our time studying courses MS, MBA and on working in jobs that we don't really care for to make money... or is it better for us to do something that we really like? hopefully we'll learn to live with a little less, cos, money and degrees are sure as hell not gonna help us then, plus traditional modes of 'saving up money' won't make much sense either.
well, I dont have a convinving answer to that question now :(
true we are making our tomorrow a difficult time.. but thinking about it and wasting our present will ruin my life. I can best do by not contributing my 5 cents [but 3 cents] to the destruction. future is bleak. but i prefer to live the present.
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