THE year 2017 began with a dismal proclamation by the scientific community. IF YOU are apprehensive or scared outright by the barrage of bad news, you are not alone. In 2014, Barack Obama suggested that because of all the bad things reported in the press, many conclude “that the world is spinning . . . fast and nobody is able to control it.” Many share his optimism. For instance, some put their trust in science, predicting rapid advancements in technologies that promise to fix the world. One expert in digital technology and innovation confidently predicted that by the year 2030, “our technology will be a thousand times more powerful and by 2045, it will be a million times more powerful.” He added: “We’re doing pretty well. While the problems we face have never been greater, our capacity to meet challenges is outpacing them.”
Countries with a history of nuclear weaponry are frantically upgrading their old bombs and creating new deadlier ones.
High blood pressure, obesity, air pollution, and drug abuse—all risk factors for disease—are increasing.
Factories continue to pollute earth’s atmosphere. And we are running out of fresh water.
Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, and earthquakes bring about devastating floods, crushing landslides, and other types of destruction
Is that evidence credible? Exactly how bad are world conditions? Are we really at the brink of a great global disaster? What do you think?