The Future

What do you think is our most pressing problem?* The future of EvC
* The world`s over-population
* Oil depletion and
* Lack of a viable fuel alternative
* The rise of fundamentalism
* Global warming
* Desertification
* Depletion of fish stocks
* Global corporatism
* Lack of world leadership
Phew, better stop there or you`ll think I`m a pessimist.

I put overpopulation as the most serious of those problems.Unless we can stabilize population, attempts to solve the other problems will do no good.

Overpopulation drives nearly all the rest. And I've got four kids, so I haven't done a very good job of helping.

I'd choose global warming/desertification (package deal, I think).If we don't address overpopulation, the consequences will do it for us, one way or t'other. We could then recover as a (hopefully wiser) species.But global warming/desertification could not only make our residence untenable now but inhospitable for centuries or millenia to come.Of course, for me, a reasonably affluent, middle-aged first worlder who is likely to pass on before any of these other things come to a head, the future of EvC is clearly the most pressing issue.

It just depends what you think we are and where you think we're headed.What's the concern? Number of people who stand to die? The overall health of the planet? The quality of life of those people who live? Some measure of how well people fit into a stable cycle of life?I don't think any of these things pose a health problem for the planet. Who knows, maybe humans came about to burn off the fossil fuels, which ultimately would hurt the planet--kind of like how forest fires move the nutrients back into the life cycle. Life will ultimately survive, even if it doesn't survive in all the form we currently see it. The underlying evolutionary processes for diversification wouldn't change.I guess I'd have to agree with the others that overpopulation of humans is the biggest problem, simply because it prevents any type of stability for getting answers to any of the questions I posed. I don't see a solution to Global corporatism being an integrated solution for the overpopulation problem. But I may not be anticipating the directions we may be willing to go in the future.Ben

Without fundamentalism, all of the other problems could easily be solved.

I disagree with that. If the fundamentalists magically disappeared from the earth, most of the other problems would remain. They are driven primarily by greed, not by fundamentalism. And greed is part of human nature.

And if you consider greed to be part of human nature, then (at the risk of going off topic) I'd suggest that fundamentalism is part of human nature as well.In fact, I'd suggest that the same driving forces underly each--fundamentalism is a special form of greed.The point of making this comment is to suggest that either we don't consider removing fundamentalism (and greed) because it's part of human nature, or all of them are open game for the question in the OP. At least, in my eyes Ben

Though it would be easier to live and feel safer without fundamentalism (of all types) it is not the cause but a symptom. Fundamentalism is a reaction to many thing , not least the encroachment of secularism, and the strength of science. But that is just a gross over simplification and does not do it justice at all.Or dependence on oil in all it’s forms (after all forget the petrol, what do we do with out plastic?) is a huge problem and it seems that people are not really up for finding solutions to this. Seemingly wishing to preserve their way of life their ”God given rights’, oil producing states should be spending their wealth in finding new power new plastics. They should be wanting this so bad because if with their wealth they find it. Then they own it. If their own it they control it. If they control it they will simply become more wealthy than they are even now . speculate to accumulate.Nations do need to be more responsible and do their bit for the environment. Yes USA I’m looking at you. You want to lead the world ? then don’t hide behind your ”rights’ to drive big gass guzzling cars. Lead the world and lead in the environmental fight. Reduce your pollution out put. Champion green power and own it control it . make that the god given right of the USA.

Cultural clashes between groups. Riots in Paris.

It depends on whether you are fundamentally right or fundamentally wrong.

---

Everybody is entitled to my opinion.

What is the purpose? Can you have a problem without a purpose that it interferes with?If the purpose is to sit in front of the TV and watch football games and eat snack food, I would think that the majority of americans have no problem.If the purpose is to devote yourself to your faith, then again, many people (esp fundamentalists) have no problem. Same for family.If the purpose is to live and let live, then many advantaged have no problem, but many disadvantaged do have problems (war, famine, low wages, bad digs, sickness, malnourishment, marginalization, etc).It's point of view.

---

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand

​

RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.

I didn't say that if fundamentalists suddenly disappear that all the other problems disappear with them. I said if fundamentalism goes away that it'll be finally possible to solve all the other problems.Yes, our problems are driven by greed. But fundamentalism is the blockage for the cures.Have you seen prophex's new proposed thread? Look me in the eyes and tell me he's going to be the one that will find a cure for cancer.

I disagree. The main blockage is the business lobbies, together with a political system that is too easily influenced by money. For the most part, the fundamentalists are dupes who allow themselves to be used by the business groups in support of the kind of materialism (the love of money that is the root of all evil) which the fundamentalists claim to abhor. Neither you nor I can guess what will be in prophex's future.

What? Through his prayer god will appear in a big thunderous cloud and gives us the cure for cancer?