This week brought the human race perhaps the worst natural disaster in modern history – Typhoon Haiyan.
The news headlines have played every angle imaginable to jockey for readership position – the loss of life, the mass of displaced people, major destruction of critical infrastructure, and yes, global warming.
With the latter, one may consider that we are indeed experiencing stronger tropical cyclones (both major oceans) given patterns in climate change. While some critics suggest that we do not have enough data to form such a correlation, I suppose we should be asking ‘when is enough, enough?’ A very sad fact is that this will not be the last storm of its type or magnitude, and we [humans] are set up for disaster.
Our coastlines are experiencing pressures like never before – immense population growth; and pressed up against a rising tide. Push heavy weather into the mix and its a recipe for disaster. When are we going to ‘get it’, and at what cost?
Perhaps more challenging than ‘knowing’ (half the battle), is taking bold steps to protect and preserve our species against this imminently threatening situation that humans have found themselves in. Frankly, our sustainability depends on understanding and taking these next steps – I view it as ‘assimilation’ if you will.
By ‘assimilation’ I am referring to human steps towards a new found relationship with, and within, the oceans. I’ve discussed this here before on ‘A New Life’ – evolutionary steps by the masses that may be inspired by a just a few taking bold steps out on the edge. At some point, we very much need to take this seriously. As they say, history repeats itself, and there have surely been periods of time where major coastal communities, and perhaps even civilizations, have been lost. We are not out of the woods.
Given events like the recent typhoon, it is also reasonable to consider that a past cataclysmic event resulted in the destruction of a previous advanced civilization [Atlantis] with all written records lost with the passage of time. It’s all very real when considered in the context of rising tides, and environmental stress on our species both now, and quite likely – then.
What do we do? Running for the hills is not the solution. I am referring to the forethought to set the next several millennia into motion to protect humanity here on our ‘Blue Planet’. That alone states the seemingly obvious – work towards a new found assimilation with our watery planet. In the near term, this will come though improved coastal infrastructure – massive feats of civil engineering – that will require and advocate an increased aquatic presence along our coasts. From there, it will be just a baby step to take stride to a subaquatic or at least amphibious state. The people that this new infrastructure will be built to protect will, by nature, begin down an evolutionary pathway towards a new sustainability.
For many of us, it is a self-evident evolutionary body of work set in motion. For the masses, it is not yet within focus to the point where early action can be taken. What we need to do, now more than ever, is to not lose sight of the bigger picture here on Earth – a planet covered by water, is dependent on water, and those that will survive absolutely MUST find peace both with and within it.
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