At 07:11 AM 3/10/99 -0800, Terry wrote:
>I was thinking about the RainForest/Extropian connection this morning
>and the comment someone made that science will eventually replace all
>of the extinct animals we've killed...
>
>Your average Joe on the street probably wouldn't even pause to
>consider that immortality is inevitable, but he may get excited to
>know that technology will eventually help us rebuild our planet.
>
>If we, as Extropians, are to become activists, maybe this could be a
>large part of our message. I think people will "buy" into the idea of
>technology as a curative force for the planet quicker than they will
>"buy" one primarily promoting immortality, space colonization, and
>artificial intelligence. (Not to say that we should back off those
>subjects...)
I agree that putting more stress on the curative effects of technology would help widespread acceptance of our meme-complex. And we don't just have to point to the future--it's clear that in the most technologically advanced countries, pollution has been reduced. Here in Los Angeles, the air is far cleaner that it was in the 1960 and 70s, despite many more people and cars. Fish life has been returning to the Great Lakes, and so on. The more wealth we have, and the more intelligent our technology, the more easily we can reduce pollution and even restore species.
Techno-market-greenly yours,
Max
Implications of Advanced Technologies
President, Extropy Institute: http://www.extropy.org
EXTRO 4 Conference: Biotech Futures. See http://www.extropy.org/ex4/e4main.htm