global warming

[Wes Tausend]

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Our generation has sure lived through some unique times. Although history repeats itself, especially on many social issues, some events such as, "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." are truely mind bending and far beyond what has come before. This space journey was not comparable to an accidental drifting to a far shore. I watched one documentary that said the computer power to achieve the moon landing was equivalent to a modern digital wristwatch.

Prior to a human landing on the Moon, the father of my girlfriend stated that he didn't think we would be "allowed" to do that. He was a fine man, a Christian religious man, and he put a lot of stock in the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. To this day, there are those that still deny that a human on the moon ever happened. Such was the shock.

About that same year, in 1969, a lady by the name of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published her book On Death and Dying. In it she introduced what has become known as the Kübler-Ross model which describes, in five discrete stages, the process by which people deal with grief and tragedy, especially when diagnosed with a terminal illness. The five stages of grief of course, in sequential order, are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is often used to describe any tragedy process.

While landing on the moon can be considered a great achievement, fouling our own nest, more commonly known as Earth, would not be so good. If it is true, it would certainly qualify as a major tragedy. And a unique one at that, much to be avoided. It might mean that not only would some great-grandchildren die ...the normal scheme of things because we all die ...but the entire human race could succumb, never to be seen again.
Whoops.

It is true that we have recently become aware of many inevitable threats to our existance with climate change only one of them. Foresight can be a curse. And I say inevitable because sooner or later one, or all, of them will get us, or at least earth if we are all still here, restricted to this fragile little lifeboat.

If there is any truth to the Kübler-Ross model, we will individually and again cohesively, go through these supposed stages of grief at the very thought of the frightening future. Actually, I think some stage symptoms can already be seen, even on this forum.

But it is bred into us to try to stop the end each and every time. Even if we can't. Even if some quickly accept bad news and start a little earlier. Maybe too early. Maybe too late.


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