If You Knew the World Would End in the Near Future, What Would You Do?
Fri, Feb 29, 2008
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It’s a new take on the age-old question that takes the form, “If you could do something without getting caught, would you?”
A retreating ice shelf in Greenland. Photo by John Rudolph
Usually, the ’something’ involves having an affair, stealing a large amount of money, or even killing someone generally regarded as evil. The responses typically fall into one of three categories:
- Yes
- No, I’m not that type of person
- Well, you could never really be sure that someone wouldn’t find out, so…
The ‘No’ crowd claim to have an internal moral compass that keeps them from doing bag things. The ‘Yes’ group – well, may have many reasons, but the outcome is the same. The folks trying to avoid answering may have a point.
Now, however, imagine that there could be a real-life (and death) scenario. It could be this: We don’t take action on global warming, or enough action. For whatever reason. Perhaps it’s already too late. Perhaps our governments are too corrupted by corporate influence. Perhaps we, the people in the developed countries, refuse to give up our SUVs. Doesn’t matter. The point is, at some point, it becomes painfully clear that climate change is coming, that there are going to be significant effects in our lifetimes, and that those effects are going to be severe.
In fact, worst case, many people are experiencing the effects. (While some are now, let’s say we have passed a ‘tipping point’ where many people are affected, from severe droughts in the U.S. wheat belt, to water rationing and crop reductions in California, to spiking prices for food, fuel, and water, to spreading pestilence, to some coastal areas becoming uninhabitable due to storms, to widespread wars over resources and land and more.)
And it has become obvious that things are only going to get worse, much worse, and that civilization is going to collapse – soon. With the collapse of civilization, we all know that the earth cannot support the billions of people currently inhabiting it, and many of us – quite possibly most of us – are going to have to go.
Given all this, what would you do? And what do you think others will do?
Brian Gordon is a Canadian Green Party member and candidate trained by Al Gore to present An Inconvenient Truth.
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“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”
February 29th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I have decided that it is time to start building “lifeboats”. To move to a piece of Earth that touches my being and to get to know my neighbors, be they human or not.
There I hope to learn to live as respectfully as I am able. After years of working towards this end, I have found this to be very difficult and worthy work.
Perhaps, I will someday be able to share what I have learned with others who wish to walk lightly and respectfully on the Earth.
Everyone dies, and there are simply too many humans on the Earth. Many of us will die, just as so many of the non-human relations have been and are perishing from our exploitation.
I have decided what is important to me and I am willing to work to preserve and aid how I am willing and able. I find this to be much more satisfying than a life of idol consumerism. But everyone must reach their own conclusions about what is important.
What is important to you? What are you willing to work for? What are you willing to give up your life for? Are you satisfied? Happy? What are you going to do?
February 29th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Boccaccio’s Decamarone is a fun look into a period in time when many people in a certain place (mostly Italian cities) were living like there was no tomorrow. The cause was the black plague. People knew they were probably going to die, so all chaos broke loose. The book’s a list of funny and well-written stories about the results.
Just thought I’d add this for a slightly different perspective. :)
March 1st, 2008 at 9:13 am
I like the Boccaccio reference. As mankind is a scourge of the Earth, selfish and destructive, it is probably time we were wiped out. I think I’d grow my hair, do over a wine store and go and sit on a grassy knoll waiting got Godot.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
If you’re wondering why I posted this, see here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange.
Lovelock isn’t the only respected scientist saying this.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Healing the earth starts with healing in my heart.
We are all eternal spirit beings inside these God-created bodies, living on a planet custom-made for us. So, all of our actions have residual, eternal purpose and meaning. Hiding our heads in the sand, or fulfilling our selfish fantasies can hardly be the healthiest thing we can do in the light of eternity.
There are spiritual Laws set inside us that are true and active whether we accept it, like it, hate it or reject it. Think of gravity- we don’t have to believe in it or even know that it’s there for it to have an affect on us!
Breezy, ask yourself why you think “mankind is a scourge of the Earth, selfish and destructive”. Let’s be honest… Let’s look in the mirror! How many bad drivers have I “assaulted” verbally? Who have I destroyed in my thoughts? Who have I lied to, covering up my own actions? How then can I expect others to be better than me? We recognize there is evil in the world when we look truthfully at ourselves.
Ted said there are “too many humans on the Earth”. Who decides that? Who do I trust to make that judgment? The government? Ted? You? Me?
There are just the right amount of people on earth for you and I to show our love, our care and our compassion. We each have much to learn from each other, whether we are ‘difficult’ to love or not. But, we can’t do it alone. I don’t want to love the unloveable! We cannot pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to do it!
The best thing we can do is get to know the One who created us, give thanks for our lives, and love our neighbors the way our Creator loves us. If I spend my life foolishly, thinking that this is all there is, that there is no God, and I’m only out for #1 (that’s me), then that is all I WILL get for ALL eternity. Think of it… selfishness & loneliness, and regret (wishing I could do it over) for ever and ever.
On the other hand, when I accept that the Son of God came to rescue me from my pettiness, to reconcile me to our all-loving, all-gracious, all-powerful Creator, to pay the penalty for all my (and your) acts of stupidity & terrible mistakes, and I ask for forgiveness and turn over my life into His keeping, then I am able at last to learn to accept & give love earnestly, forgive others, & not desire to show others harm. I can then begin to treat others how I want to be treated…. with honor, respect, with integrity and purity of heart.
Do you know that each one of us is special to the Creator of the Universe- When we accept who we really are – as a unique part of God’s creation – and honor our Creator by accepting His Son, treating others likewise, then, when this body (which is temporary) is separated from my spirit (which is eternal) in death, only then may I live on as spirit in peace- forever and ever!
We’re going to spend the rest of eternity with each other in one way or another…. We get only one chance, while here on earth, to learn how to do it… I want it to be in peace- don’t you?!
July 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am
try to break the world record for fitting the most amount of straws into your mouth in one go!