[01/16/1999-12/21/1999]: 42-t-26444787-20080359F-001-002-2013

ARMS Email System Page 3 of7
intelligent people. As we face deep questions early in the 21st Century
regarding the ecological catastrophes that we must somehow avoid, we should
ask ourselves the question: to the degree that ideotechnomics forms the
substrate of our lives, what are ways that it can reduce happiness and
freedom of action for us and our descendants, instead of expanding these
truest qualities of life? 'As we witness the growing reach of wires and
waves
coursing with energy around us, we must never lose our sense of the total
and unforgettable experience of being lovingly rooted in Nature.
Remember Y2K as you read When Things Start to' Think, .by Neil A.
Gershenfeld.
The Sixth Extinction?
Some news items are more important than others, but are often drowned
because 'equal air time' seems increa~ingly to favor profitability rather
than relevance as the unit of measure. One such story appeared on MSNBC.com
on August 4th.
"We are predicting the extinction of about two'-thirds of all bird, mammal,
butterfly and plant species by the end of the next century, based on
current
trends," said Peter Raven, President of the International Botanical
Congress
at its annual meeting thi~ summer. "The projected rate of extinction for
the
next 100 years is equal. to 65 million years ago."
50,000 of the 300,000 species of plant on Earth are at risk of extinction
now. 200,000 species could vanish by the end of the 21st century. In the
oceans, 50 "dead zones" have been identified in coastal areas, the largest
in the Gulf of Mexico caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus flowing from
the Mississippi. "We're witnessing many signals of the problems that will
result from these changes," reports Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State
University, "including toxic algal blooms, coral bleaching and sudden
disappearance of fish from key fisheries."
There are many reactions individuals can have to news reports such as this.
Most people click on to the next site or station, thinking something like
"the government or environmentalists will find a solution". Many people
click into it one level further, learn more, and shift their thinking
modestly. Some people are motivated to act, and contribute or volunteer for
a role in the movement. And vanishingly few who do are in positions of
influence. to accelerate the thinking of many others. It is important this
last group of people grows, and I will be greatly surprised if the health
of
the biosphere is not a principal focus of the next Presidential election.
My
personal bet is that the self created environmental problems menacing
humanity will force their way to the front of everyone's attention soon.
New
debates will be framed in increasingly clear terms demonstrating the stakes
of decisions we mayor may not have the will to make in the next 10 years.
How long it takes for these debates to influence everyday actions of
several
hundred million relatively wealthy human beings will determine whether we