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BLUEPRINT FOR A BETTER WORLD
We live in an imperfect world. Poverty, disease, lack of education, environmental destruction - the problems are all too obvious. Many people don't have clean water, let alone enough food, and the unsustainable lifestyle of the wealthy few is storing up catastrophic climate change.
Can we do anything about it? You bet we can. Technology is a double-edged sword, but science and reason have made our lives immeasurably better overall - and only through science and reason can we hope to make a real difference in the future. So here and over the next three weeks, New Scientist will explore diverse ideas for making the world a better place, and the evidence backing them.
This week, we look at some radical ideas for transforming society and changing the way countries are run. We also examine the state of the world as it is today, to see whether things are getting better or worse (see image).
Next week, we'll report on what you as an individual can do to make a difference. Then we'll explore what many see as the fundamental problem: overpopulation. And finally, we'll ponder the profound and long-lasting changes we are making to our home planet.1.
Beware of common sense
If governments are serious about achieving their aims, they must base their decisions on hard evidence and not received wisdom
2.
Legalise drugs
Far from protecting us and our children, the war on drugs is making the world a much more dangerous place
3.
Give police your DNA
The only fair, effective answer to the question of whose DNA profiles police should keep is: everybody's
4.
Redefine the bottom line
Governments need to find better ways of measuring progress than simply looking at wealth
5.
Find out if we can cool the planet
We need to do our homework rather than simply assume geoengineering can stave off disaster
6.
Tax carbon and give the money to the people
Goods should be taxed to reflect the damage they do to the planet, with revenues redistributed to society
7.
Learn to love genetic engineering
The technology environmentalists love to hate really could play a big role in saving the planet
8.
End the pillaging of the high seas
We must put a stop to the free-for-all out on the oceans to have any chance of saving their riches from the ravages of climate change
9.
Generate a feed-in frenzy
Paying people who generate green energy and feed it back to the grid is the best way to boost uptake of renewable energy
10.
Take Friday off… forever
The four-day week could boost employment, save energy and make us happier
Offering multiple perspectives from many fields of human inquiry that may move all of us toward a more integrated understanding of who we are as conscious beings.
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Saturday, September 12, 2009
New Scientist - Blueprint for a better world
Hmmmm . . . interesting approach. Seems more than a little short-sighted and materialistic to me. Maybe if human beings cultivated compassion rather than seeking wealth, most of these problems would be resolved.
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One thing that's rarely mentioned in these types of articles: have fewer babies. Of course that's not good for the government (they get fewer tax dollars), but irresponsible procreation is a problem. Especially in developed countries where each new baby comes into the world with a massive ecological footprint. What a nice baby gift!
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