One common answer to the question of how to live is "to make the world a better place". If you're feeling altruistic and are looking for ideas on how to help humanity, here's Nobel Prize winner Richard Smalley's list of our planet's top ten problems (in descending order): energy; water; food; environment; poverty; terrorism and war; disease; education; democracy; and population. They're all huge challenges, but don't be scared away by the scope of the problems: recent history provides countless examples of individuals and small groups changing the world with powerful ideas and unwavering commitment.
posted by howtolive.org at
9:09 AM
2 Comments:
No disrespect to Richard Smalley. His alleged list of top ten problems facing humanity, are not only outdated, but, more importantly, totally misses the heart of the issue. My proposed list includes, roughly in descending order: meaninglessness; craving and greed; delusion, ignorance, misinformation, mass hysteria; bias and bigotry; pandemic; terrorism; corruption; environment.
The basic human survival needs have already been solved. Thanks to progress made in science and technology, and economic thoughts and practices. Food, meaning famine, and poverty, are no longer the issue. Corruption is. On the other hand, obesity and wasteful consumption is. Notice how Al Gore's mansion, and presumably properties of numerous other super-rich, consume 20 times more energy than the average American household. Not to mention that ordinary Americans themselves are notoriously wasteful consumers.
Population certainly is not the issue. Is it over-population or under-population or both that are the problem? Notice how European native population is shrinking and they need massive immigration to do the jobs.
Enough for one post.
By
Anonymous, at 11:29 PM
You seriously think poverty is no longer an issue? Perhaps in America it is no serious issue, but for half the world, poverty is a persistent, life-threatening condition. To think otherwise and just move on would be a moral cop-out. If basic human survival needs have been solved, then why is malnutrition the leading cause of death in almost half of the world's countries?
By
Chris, at 11:43 AM
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