Written by John Glassco   

I recall years ago, back in the 70's when Meadows, Meadows, Randers and Behrens produced the book "Limits to Growth" the authors were unclear about how our civilization would end. Would we run out of resources, or would we choke on our own pollution? At the time, the authors knew it would be one or the other, although they were unaware at that time of global warming or rising sea levels etc. I believe they favored the exhaustion of resources as the instrument of our collective doom.

From my perspective today, it looks like pollution (the buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gasses) is likely to be the factor that seals our fate.

Some conservative and faith-based voices don't believe much in math, or pure science for that matter. Many in the media, particularly at the most listened-to news voice, Fox News, believe that math and science should remain optional pursuits. These patronizing evangelical authorities attempt to persuade their audience that science education is not worthy of our collective financial support, particularly when human sexuality, evolution, and the environment are featured. All I can say to these skeptics is that we will have accumulating proof before too many years have passed, that their focus is misplaced.

It is already probably too late to change the outcome with any intervention. To act, even at this late date, it would be necessary to reach a consensus. This agreement alone is many years away, because the loudest, angry voices we hear day after day in the news, are against taking any action at all. It seems that T.S. Eliot was right all along. We are indeed the hollow men.