We all know what evolution is, except that only 40% of Americans believe in the Darwinian kind. Not particularly surprising, but only 21% of those who did not complete high school believe in evolution, while 74% of those who have at least some kind of postgraduate schooling do.
Devolution in the federal sense is the return of rights to states, but for the purpose of this discussion, let us use the biological definition, that is, backward evolution, or for society, a lowering of our lifestyle. Before the Grand Recession, I would guess that less than half thought that, perhaps, our civilization had peaked and will now decline. Today, I would not be surprised if more than half of Americans have an uncomfortable feeling that the combination of Peak Oil, Global Warming and our broken government is so severe that, while our economy will soon get better, there is a distinct possibility that we might have experienced the best, and future generations, beginning with our children, will only see a decline in their future life.
I continue to be one of those who feel that giving up is not an option. Sure, after the second energy crisis in 1979 we should have known better and thirty years ago initiated that crusade to convert from the fossil fuels to renewable energy. Keep in mind, though, that the Greenhouse Effect was only in the vocabulary of academics, even though Svante Arrhenius in 1896 already began warning of global warming. He was the first Swede to win a Nobel Prize, and as President Barack Obama was in the latest group, you must know that this award is given in Sweden. Anyway, a primary reason why we never got our act together three decades ago is that in 1998, the real price of oil actually dropped below what it was in 1973 when the First Energy Crisis shocked us. In fact, even lower than compared to 1946.
Thus, don't unnecessarily blame oil companies, the White House and Congress for what you allowed, with good reason. This all comes back to who is responsible and all my HuffPos have blamed us, the masses. That famous Pogo quote, "We have met the energy, and he is us," has a universal application, and first appeared almost 60 years ago.
Okay, so, what then? Let us do something about what we created. We elect our political leaders, buy gasoline and electricity, and should have total control of our future. Something wonderful has happened to allow us to orchestrate this preferred future: the world-wide web. Media like The Huffington Post can now make that crucial difference. We need to initiate a new revolution to take back control of our future.
So what do we do? I don't know! If you believe in scientific revolution (and unfortunately, Americans are ahead of the curve, for way far less than half of our world population does), evolution got us this far about 250,000 years ago. Humanity blossomed, with almost 7 billion people today. We sidestepped the potential nuclear winter about two decades ago when the Cold War ended, only to run headlong into the last few years of cheap oil, a climate change potential that largely precludes the use of coal, the evils of current fission and a governing system unable to act with dispatch.
Well, on the more positive front, there is fusion, the process our Sun and all the stars utilize to create energy. What about the Hydrogen Economy? Or, maybe, even signals from outer space, yes, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, my chapter 4 of Simple Solutions for Humanity. I'm stretching, but I'm getting desperate. So should you.
We can either quickly educate the general populace about the coming devolution, or initiate this revolution. Let us start by, indeed, letting the people know about those bad case scenarios, for what are the odds of actually galvanizing a whole new way of thinking to save Planet Earth and Humanity? Mind you, we don't really need to convince 7 billion souls. We have already proven to be sheep. We must get to those key revolutionary influencers, a handful of individuals and organizations, I think. Don't be patient, for time is a dimension that is crucial to our fate.
But what exactly do we do? Again, I don't really know. My most recent and 70th HuffPo on "One Global Government," provides a clue, and my first HuffPo on "Well, Barack, We Have a Problem," at least suggests a pathway. I am an almost insignificant and certainly lonely voice in the ether, and can only be a catalyst. I hereby pass on this world saving charge to you, although, I pledge to assist in any way I can.