I’m curious if anyone wants to share their intuition, how they are living their lives, not necessarily people who research the state of the earth, but what you think for yourself and your children, if any:

Do you think tomorrow—that is, the future in general—will be more or less healthy, safe, and secure than today?

I haven’t researched the question, but I’d bet for all of human existence, nearly all our ancestors lived lives always confident that the earth of their children would be the same or more healthy, safe, and secure. I think many people today believe that no matter what they or anyone does, the future will be less healthy, safe, and secure.

Even among people who say they expect the future to be more healthy, safe, and secure, I bet nearly all of them recognize most people consider the opposite likely. I suspect many people who claim they believe everything will improve secretly believe the opposite but feel that saying so, or even just allowing themselves to think it consciously, will make them feel worse. They’ll have to face the emotions that come from the internal conflict of violating their values.

That said, I’m sure many people consider things improving.

I’m in the middle of a book called Waste Wars (here’s a review at the Washington Post) about what humanity is doing with its increasingly toxic waste. We have no safe way to handle it and it’s growing faster than ever. I recommend it but expect to be disgusted. It’s one manifestation of our culture, though a particularly toxic and large one. There’s much more.

I’d prefer not to live in a world doing what we are, but since we are, I’d rather know than deny or suppress the knowledge. Most of all, I want to change our trajectory, not just watch it happen. If that change requires me acting on the scale of Gandhi, King, and Mandela, I’ll do what it takes.

For now, I recommend taking my workshop.

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