Ashwin Telukuntla
Technology in New England
Professor Deese
Section EF
Essay 4
What thoughts would spring into your mind if you were sitting on the moon staring at our spectacular planet? Would you think about the future of Earth or just gaze at its majestic beauty? Now imagine spending this moment with three influential authors, historian David E. Nye, historian Carolyn Merchant and environmentalist Rachel Carson. While sitting at Lunar Sands Casino with these three scholars, a bet is created on the future of the Earth in year 2064. From interpretations of various essay’s written by Nye, it is likely that Nye would say that the future of the Earth depends on the path of science and technology. Merchant would take the stance that the Earth will be worse off than it is today and Carson would likely agree with Merchant in that the Earth is heading towards its doom. I believe that the Earth may be better off in 2064 than it is today due to the large emphasis that is currently being placed on positive environmental actions and efficiency increasing technologies.
By 2064, the world has the option of two separate fates: prosperity or destruction. Nye would say that the future of the planet depends heavily on the course of science and technology in the upcoming years. If technology and innovations continue toward the “bigger is better” philosophy and disregard any environmental or social consequences, the Earth in 50 years will be that of a planet in shambles. However, if technology and innovations prioritize a level of green and efficiency while maintaining a strong environmentally conscious agenda, the future of the Earth could be that as seen on the Jetson’s. Although Nye focuses heavily on science and technology as a future predictor of Earth, he also would agree that various societies cultures would drastically alter the planets future. For instance, if people on the planet wanted to wear only natural fibers and eat meat on a daily basis, the Earth’s resources would be depleted at exponential rate compared to if people were willing to wear synthetic fibers and consume meat less frequently. If an accurate prediction could be made about the future of technological and cultural preferences, Nye would make a stronger and clearer claim about the state of our planet in 2064.
Although Nye does not seem to take a firm side on the bet, Merchant would take a clear side on the future of the Earth. Merchant believes that mechanism and capitalism are emptying our resources at a rapid pace. In her book, Ecological Revolutions, she explains all the harm we are currently causing our planet. Such as the massive amounts of damage to the ozone layer that was caused by the use of CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons). CFC’s are emitted with Styrofoam, refrigerators and aerosol sprays. Today, there has been more of an effort to reduce or eliminate this molecule from everyday products. In the eyes of Merchant, one can assume the Earth in 2064 will look similar to that of planet Venus. Merchant was very active in the mid-late 20th century and many of her assumptions are based of that time period. If Merchant considered many of the new paths taken by societies today, her belief may differ but in accordance to her writings, Merchant does not have faith in this planets future.
Along with Merchant, Carson would likely believe that the Earth in 2064 will be much worse off than it is today. Carson can be claimed as one of the first true environmentalists in the United States. Carson played a major role in the DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) issue that plagued the United States in the Second World War. DDT is a chemical that was very widely used in that era to control a large array of problems, from pests to diseases. This molecule was thought to the miracle control substance, until the side effects were discovered. DDT is an extremely stable and durable compound and therefore does naturally breakdown. The widespread use of this compound caused toxic and poisonous pollution to the environment around the world. Due to Carson’s efforts, such as the publication of her book, Silent Spring, which explains many of the negative consequences of DDT, the use of DDT within the United States was banned. Since Carson lived in a time where environmental consequences were not prioritized the least bit, her view toward the future of our planet is likely to be very negative.
My belief on the future of the Earth is similar to that of David Nye. I believe that the Earth in 2064 will be of much higher quality than it is today. Since the Industrial Revolution, the United States has, for the most part, disregarded the environmental consequences of its actions. In attempt to grow and create industries across the nation, the United States and other developing countries (in the relevant time period) were expanding at a high rate and releasing a strong carbon footprint. Much of this rapid industrialization took place in the two centuries. Today, these same industrialized nations changed their strategies. Since the environment changed for the worse since the industrialization period, many countries are placing incredible efforts in order to save the planet. This change in priorities has lead me to believe that the future of our planet is bright and prosperous. With the emergence of energy efficient and environmentally friendly homes, appliances, cars, factories etc., the Earth's demise will not come as quickly as others thought. Although many promising actions have taken place, there are still various factors that can destroy the current plan. Nations such as India and China, that have been rapidly industrializing in the past few years have caused a great deal of environmental harm. With immense construction and production of goods in such a dense area of land, the carbon footprints released from this area of the planet is on a new level. If more third world countries attempt to massively industrialize, the Earth's future may be filled with darkness and pollution, but my faith in man leads me to believe the Earth is not destined for that future.
A persons idea on the future of the planet is mainly based upon the time era of history they experienced. For instance, Merchant and Carson would have a much more pessimistic view about the future of the Earth since most of their exposure to the world was in the earlier part of the century when environmental concern was not widely prevalent. On the other hand, Nye and I have been exposed to the latter part of the 20th century along with the 21st century, which reflects our more optimistic opinion since we are currently in a time of transition in the realm of environmental concern. Based upon the decision to proceed with "bigger is better" or "energy efficiency" the future of the Earth cannot be accurately predicted. However, if the we continue on the current path we are on today, I would bet the Earth will strive towards becoming a utopia.
