The only way for our society to solve the multitude of
problems encroaching in on us is with more technology. More science. More
innovation. We need to engineer solutions, stopping technological advancement
in the interest of hindering future problems will not solve the ones we
currently have.
The word ‘natural’ does not mean anything. If things that we
create are considered unnatural then why are birds’ nests and anthills not? To say
that we are the only species capable of creating something the fibre of our
world is just simple arrogance, it insinuates that we are something more than
just naked monkeys.
This idea achieves nothing but blur the issue of
sustainability and make it harder to head down a path of progress.
Plastic is just as ‘natural’ as dirt, it comes out of the
ground. It is not like someone opened a hole in space and time and pulled
plastic out.
In the past our technology has been dumb. Lumps of plastic
and metal that move clumsily and will never disappear, but in modern times we
have the potential to work in a way that is not going to damage our
surroundings. Biopolymers, smart materials, nano- and biotechnologies are swiftly
becoming a reality.
Working within the parameters of sustainability does not
mean that we have to stop making, it means we need to make smarter.
While thinking about these things do not forget that there
is only the present. The past is a memory and is gone. The future is merely
anticipation; it is just another thought arising in the present and worrying
about it will not solve the problems it may present, but it will ruin your satisfaction
with now. It is always now. Enjoy it.
Harris, S. (2012). Death
and The Present Moment [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTxTCz4Ums
Kurzweil, R. (2005). The
Singularity is Near. New York, NY: Viking Books.
