the religion of climate change 3 - a higher intelligence

Anyway, this is more for completeness than anything else, as I think I did mention it to you...

So the same chain of thinking previously did get me thinking about the significance of climate change to the whole human race...

If you think about where we've got to, as a race, what we've achieved... well there is something that sets us apart from other animals. We've been hugely more successful, we've put ourselves beyond the reach of any of the ecosystems normal checks and balances, we've taken tool use and cooperation to whole new levels.

So I think there's way of thinking that has allowed us to do this - to see the advantages of taking actions that are not in our immediate self-interest, for greater longer term self-interest. And that has allowed us to access and utilise the energy from fossil fuels, which in turn has unlocked a dramatic acceleration in the development of our powers.

But now we have a new challenge, a new check on our development. Can we tackle the threat posed by climate change? Arguably only if we can achieve a new level of thinking. We can preserve our society, our civilisation, our quality and ways of life. But only by taking action that demonstrates a dramatic new level of cooperation and foresight. Can we act in the interest of our people, of our descendants when it is in our disadvantage?

It just seems a little convenient is all. If we hadn't developed in the way we had we would not be facing this problem. But we also wouldn't have the opportunity to tackle it in the same way. The technologies and systems we can apply to climate change only exist because of the level of development we have achieved. It's just getting urgent NOW after decades of industrialisation. And at the same time we've just NOW started to crack e.g. affordable renewables.

The set up is there. The tools are in place - like those great reserves of fossil fuels. The question is are we sophisticated enough to manage our way out of the problem or will we squabble and deny our way over the brink?

It feels like a test. Are we worthy? Or not? And if it is that, then it implies it has been set by... something higher up?

This isn't an argument, clearly. I don't expect it to convince anyone - including me - of the existence or otherwise, of anything. It just seems an interesting way to look at things.

Just a thought.