Save Our Planet

A Book Clarifies The Problem and Solution of The Present Environmental Crisis

Title: Reach Across Time to Save Our Planet

Authors: Tatsuo Togawa and Peter Rolfe

Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing

Publication: 2017

The most important challenge facing humankind now is the urgent need to save our planet, our home on Earth, and our very being. Our descendants will pay the price for the foolishness and selfishness of current and past generations. So, the simple message of this book is to persuade us all to care about the Future People, who will have inherited the worst of our actions and behaviour on planet Earth, and regard them as our neighbours, or even our 'children'. By so doing we could be motivated more strongly to rescue planet Earth from its incessant and possible terminal decline. Can we therefore 'Reach across Time...' to those future people and save them and "...Save our Planet". Followings are synopses of ten chapters of the book.

Chapter 1. Indifference to the remote future

   Our message starts from a very simple and obvious fact, that although the activities of present people will cause serious inconvenience for remote future people, most of present people are now totally indifferent to this fact. Those of us living now have to feel and be responsible for the future people’s pain. We must recognize the ‘iniquity’ of hurting future people. The measure of this ‘sin’ for our deeds will be tremendous.

   Present people seldom think about future people’s difficulties, mainly because there are so many urgent matters around us now. There are huge numbers of people facing major problems in their lives who need help now. This inevitably attracts some people who have kind hearts and can hold out a hand to and so many temptations attracting us for satisfactions. Although we may worry about future people’s pain for a moment, this will pass all too soon and we will quickly return to urgent current challenges and issues. This means that problems of the future are always postponed, and the present-centred life will continue.

   There is a growing number of scientists, politicians, interest groups, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who seem genuinely concerned about the potential problems that will adversely impact the lives of future generations. They are advocating the need for actions that could produce objective data that, for example, could show the progress of global warming and its damaging effects on the ecological environment. However, it seems most unlikely that these voices will be sufficient to persuade us all now to support any action plans for the benefit of future people. Our collective indifference to future people’s problems cannot be removed simply by accumulating relevant data, even when it is explained in detail by experts.

   However, this indifference to what might be regarded as the very survival of future people does not mean that present people are totally egoistic. Actually, present people do help each other very often, especially when large numbers are suffering in  natural disasters and reports of the suffering of victims appears in the media. So, if the inevitable suffering of future people, caused by current and past generations, would also appear in the media, it is quite possible that present people would not be indifferent. Vivid media content will be more effective for saving future people than precise scientific data.

Chapter 2. Viewing the 21^st century from the remote future

   If one imagines remote future generations looking back at the 21^st century, they would see mass extinction of the biosphere where a great many species were lost in a short period of time. Although such mass extinctions have occurred repeatedly in the whole history of life, the mass extinction near the 21^st century is exceptional in the sense that it will have been caused by human activity. So it seems inevitable that the future people will wonder why those of us living in the 21^st century did not prevent the mass extinction, particularly given our higher level of cultural and scientific achievements; we will undoubtedly be criticised for this failure.

   During the 21^st century cultural achievements have not been limited to materialistic prosperity, but social systems have also been evolved to secure the human rights of all individuals. However, if future people look back they will recognize that the materialistic prosperity was achieved by sacrificing their own inheritance, and the individual rights were secured by neglecting the rights of future people.

   Despite all of this, future people most likely will recognize the fact that those of us living in the 21^st century could not prevent the human-caused mass extinction, and they will probably also recognize that the origin of the ‘big fault’ arose from the indifference by us to the challenges faced by future people. However, it could also be seen that the origin of our indifference to the future people was not due to the lack of sufficient data to forecast the future accurately, but to the lack of a mental capability to regard future people as our neighbours. That recognition and mental facility would be established at some time period soon after the 21^st century.

   Once the importance of mental features and capabilities is recognized, there will likely be the creation of movements to motivate people to treat future people as neighbours so that the indifference will diminish. If such movements are indeed established in or soon after the 21^st century, future generations will regard the 21^st century as the beginning of their salvation.

Chapter 3. Definite facts about the remote future

   The remote future is a very long period of time in front of us; unless. of course, humankind becomes extinct sooner than that. Tentatively, let us imagine a specific time point at one million years ahead. A million years is far longer than the whole history of Homo sapiens, but it is much shorter than the period over which very many species have existed. Thus, a million years ahead may be a suitable time point as a tentative goal for which we will use our efforts to ensure human survival in a good environment.

At present, several thousands of species become extinct every year, but such a rapid decrease of species cannot continue for several thousands of years. This rapid decrease in the number of species must be ended in at most a few hundred years, and thus most periods in a million years have a stable biosphere with a gradual recovery from the abrupt losses of large numbers of species, unless such a serious human-caused extinction does not occur repeatedly.

   A million years is long enough for biological evolution. In fact, a major evolution took place in hominid in the last million years and this led to the appearance of Homo sapiens. However, from the present day to a million years ahead, such a significant evolution is unlikely to occur because of a number of reasons. Firstly, no wild nature will remain in the future where a major evolution could  take place. Secondly, evolution to create ‘superior humans’, through so-called positive eugenics,  will not be accepted. On the other hand, human genetic degeneration due to the increase of mutant genes will have not to be allowed. In wild nature, a mutant gene can be removed by natural selection, but, in future, this has to be performed artificially; this is so-called negative eugenics. Even though this will be quite difficult, it has to be unavoidable.

   As a consequence, it is reasonable to assume that human genetic nature will remain unchanged even up to a million years ahead. As long as the genetic nature is unchanged, not only physical nature, human mentality such as emotional and intellectual nature will also remain unchanged even though culture can change significantly. Due to this feature, we can imagine humans in a million years hence as the same as we are now, and that fact will help such future generations to feel themselves as our neighbours.

Chapter 4. In between the present and the remote future

   When the facts about remote future people, say people living in a million years ahead, are clearly shown, present people will be able to envisage vividly the lives of such people. Then they are likely to be compassionate towards them, and may be willing to help them in some way. This could apply not only to those of us living now but also to any generation between the present and a million years ahead. Such generations could then be motivated to take action for the benefit of future people. A million years consists of very many generations, and they form a chain. If a week link exists in the chain, the whole chain becomes fragile, so that the human existence will be in danger.

   To secure a strong and complete chain, the responsibility of people at present and in the near future will be vital. Because we in the 21^st century are at the centre of the human-caused environmental crisis, we must carry out actions to reduce the effects of the crisis, such as to reduce global warming, eliminate pollution of our oceans and land, and stabilize world population at below the sustainable level. Such efforts must be taken within few hundred years from now.

   If the major crisis experienced in the 21^st century can be overcome then a moderately stable world will be realized, even though very many species were lost and pollution had become widely spread. People surviving after the crisis will hopefully have learned very many lessons from the failure to prevent the disaster. They might recognise the value of the wisdom gained, albeit it obtained by paying tremendous sacrifices. Being wise after the event may have some value if humankind will never repeat the failure again, at least during the million years into the future, and probably until the end of human existence.

Chapter 5. Hope towards remote future

   The present time, the early 21^st century, is undoubtedly in the middle of what is clearly a critical period for planet Earth and for the human race, where human behaviour is having very profound influences on future generations. The very future of humankind is quite uncertain. If we are to secure the preferred natural environment and human society in the future, where each person is content to live, collective power led by strong motivation of the majority of people will be essential. However, to switch a mind-set from ego-centric interests to altruistic mentality to save future generations seems difficult to archieve.

   Until recently, social life has been governed by existing norms such as tradition, laws, morals, and religion, which are shared in each community. However, environmental problems have now reached a global scale, thus a common understanding of human mental nature is demanded. At present, ‘science of the mind’ is insufficient to solve conflicts among existing norms. At present, we are having to motivate the majority of present people to save future generations without the strong support of the ‘science of mind’.

   Some aspects of human genetic nature will also be serious obstructions to save future generations. The feature of aggression is a genetic nature seen in humans and many animal species.  Even today, conflicts between and within countries easily become serious due to the aggressive nature. Once serious conflict occurs, policies for future generations are postponed. However, instead of suppressing the aggressive nature, it can be used as a positive force if it can be directed to an imaginary ‘enemy’ that intends to beat humankind. The feature of greed is also problematic when it operates within an ego-centric mind. But, if it also works in an altruistic mind directed to save future generations, more benefits for future generations could be achieved.

   On the one hand, the early 21^st century is at the beginning of the worst possible historical event, recognised as the greatest mass extinction, but on the other hand, it can be the beginning of a truly brilliant future, full of goodness far above simply living. To sustain the hope towards the remote future by managing our mind by ourselves is essential for those of us who are living in such a critical period.

Chapter 6. Suggestions to reach the remote future

   The existence of humankind in the remote future cannot be guaranteed, but all of this depends largely on the attitude of present people. What is important now is not  so much to set up policies but to carry out definite actions. To initiate actions it is not essential for politicians or scientists to be taking the leading roles, any person can do this utilizing their own talents or ideas. The  attention and focus of the general population could be directed more towards the interests and challenges of future generations through the creation of targeted poems, musical compositions and graphical devices including paintings and cartoons. Such material need not even be original;  a parody could also be very effective. The lyrics of contemporary popular songs may be interpreted so as to focus on future people; In this blog, there are some examples of this kind in the Gallery. Borrowing well known materials would be convenient and then, original works may subsequently appear.

   The material produced by such means can easily be publicized through social media, effectively creating grass-root movements. As a result,  the minds of people in our present generation could be liberated from the so-called ‘cage of self-centredness’, thereby releasing a willingness to help future generations. In order to save and help future people successfully, many kinds of wisdom would be utilized. Even though each of these might be simple and of limited scale, it may still contribute to the combined efforts necessary to move minds  so that it will then help to create a feeling that future people are near to us. Once the minds of people in the present generation have been shifted successfully from a self-centred and present-centred mentality to an acceptance of future people as their own neighbours, perhaps more people would then be encouraged to try to contribute naturally, in many ways, to the effort required to develop a genuine concern for the lives of future people.

   Such a change of mind will be the first step to reach the remote future. Without a vivid image of the future people in our own minds, a spontaneous motivation to help remote future people will never appear in our minds. On the contrary, when one has such a vivid image of future people and compassion for them, the remote future becomes our own future, so that the remote future comes into our lifetime, and all events in the remote future become a reality for us. This is a definite way for us to reach the remote future.

Chapter 7. Bond with the remote future people

   The term “bond” here means “a force or feeling that unites people”. While this term has been used commonly to express feelings among members in a family or a community, we propose to apply this term to express a feeling that unites present and remote future people. In the present world, the extent and variety  of human activities are increasing by several orders of magnitude as compared to the ancient world. The diverse consequences of these activities, particularly for the natural environment and for the quality of human existence, are likely to remain up to and beyond the very distant future. Therefore we must accept the responsibilities for the impact that our activities now will have on remote future people. This could be achieved if all people can be united in a bond that must stretch across and beyond the vast time separation.

   It is remarkable that the importance of a bond with remote future people was stressed nearly one hundred years ago even though environmental problems were wholly insignificant at that time. Nicolai Hartmann, a German philosopher, wrote an article in 1926 entitled “Love of the Remote”. He stated that “It is a bond, ... a joint responsibility, of person for person”. He also wrote that “Only he who lived previously can be of service to him who lives afterward”. Then, he concluded that “... it is a bond ... in the quality of its task”. The meaning of “quality of its task” is explained in a later part. He wrote “... it is a love”.

   Hartmann’s message can be heard as a prophetic warning sign to us now as we face the very serious environmental problems. It seems absolutely true that “only present people can be of service to future people”, and it will also be true that “it is a bond in the quality of its task”, and “the quality of its task is a love”.

Chapter 8. Goodness to be expected in the remote future

   In the present world, the unabating decline of the natural environment on planet Earth is clearly visible. To save humankind from extinction is an urgent matter but is one which has no simple solution. More than that, to achieve merely a basic level of survival is not adequate for the goal of saving humanity from extinction. Creating and spreading ‘goodness’ within the future societies would be very worthy action and should be pursued, even if we must make significant personal sacrifices to achieve this.

   We might then ask, what are the characteristics of the ‘goodness’ that shall be created and established? Firstly, it surely must be something that represents the standards and behaviour by which the people of the future generations can live and flourish happily. This then means that it should certainly not be derived from the self-centred people among our present generation. It will not, therefore, be based on the accumulation of materialistic possessions, because of the bitter memory of the environmental crisis that arose due to the earlier ethos of materialism. A likely image of goodness in future people will be the establishment of bonds between individuals and groupings, in vast spatial and temporal dimensions, including the whole of the past and the whole of future generations around the world.

   After spatial and temporal bonds are established in the remote future, further cultural progress will continue. However, this cultural progress in the remote future will no longer be driven by self-centred greed. If this is the case, then cultural progress should  move naturally to attain higher levels of goodness, not just for individual goodness but for goodness of the whole. Every person will recognize their own identity and specificity as an individual feeling of goodness for oneself and, at the same time, feeling compassion for all other individuals.

Chapter 9. A more distant remote future

   Human existence on planet Earth, even a billion years ahead, can be visualised quite vividly, and so present humans can theoretically connect fully with human generations living in such a long, distant, remote future. On the way to a billion years ahead, humans will encounter many difficulties that must be overcome in order to survive. Solar irradiation will increase by about ten percent. Large asteroid impacts with Earth may occur if humans fail to prevent them. Wild biosphere will evolve significantly. Among such developments, some species may acquire intelligence. Human culture will also evolve greatly. Highly intelligent robots may appear. The future human having almost the same genetic nature as ours will remain in a world where many biological species together with robots having higher intelligence are coexisting, thereby creating a cultural community.

   Among the cultural community, humans will be respected as the eldest members who had been the first to acquire culture. However, they will also be criticized because of the fact that they caused the mass extinction around the 21st century. This mass extinction, which is highly likely to occur in the near future, will leave the most profound adverse influences on planet Earth and among all species living thereupon in the whole history of life as far a billion years ahead. The loss of species in the biosphere will be the greatest that has occurred among all past mass extinctions. The pollution and destruction of nature will also be tremendous. Depletive resources will also have been almost exhausted.

   Despite such tremendous losses, humans will have gained wisdom, that humans, as well as other members in the cultural community, should not be self-centred and indifferent to the future. Due to this wisdom, similar faults should never be repeated in the whole future of the cultural life. If the cultural community can, over the billion years ahead, spend their lives peacefully surrounded by a rich nature, the wisdom acquired by making unselfish sacrifices will be fully appreciated. Even at present, we can feel compassion for the remote  future people’s contentment through the bond established across the vast time separation.

Chapter 10. The end of human history

    When humankind finally becomes extinct, there will be no human observer who can watch and report on the last moments of the human race. However, anyone can try to imagine the demise of the last human in a subjective way. If this creates a pleasant scenario depicting the passing of the last human, and if this is shared by many people who try to  show genuine compassion towards the last human, then the mental picture could become a reality at the present time. This subjective image of the last human, who will live and perish a billion years ahead, could then be turned into an objective reality which could motivate stimulate actions in the minds of the current generation to prepare comfortable arrangements for the end of human history.

   To create an image of the completion of human bonds could be a component of contentment at the last moment of human history, and it can be shared by all people, from the present to the last human. A human bond is commonly recognized among a family or among members of a community, but sometimes it will spread to people who have some special relationship, such as between first responders and helpers with recipients in the recovery from a disaster. In the present world-wide environmental crisis, the necessity of human bonds between present and remote future people is fully recognized. Through the completion of these human bonds at the last moment of human history, all people who had lived in the past can be included in a bond because there will be no reason to exclude anyone from the completed bonds. Such an image of this will become a reality when persons in difficulty or conflict are actually consoled, regardless of the differences in cultural backgrounds.

   To have a vivid image of the end of human history could lead people who are in serious conflict with each other to a reconciliation; surely no one wants to continue a conflict until the last moment of human existence. The fact that human history is finite, both to the past and to the future, will possibly be accepted as a great fortune.