etnobofin

Image by Passetti

2009 already looks like it’s going to hell in a handcart.   The credit crisis rolls on and with it the possibility of the worst economic conditions for 60 years. Israel and Hamas continue their mutual idiocy. (Can someone please put the leaders of both sides in a sealed room for a month and tell them to  tell ‘em to f*cken sort their sh*t out? I apologise for the expletives, but they aptly convey my frustration and sadness at what’s happening in Gaza).

Oh, and we still seem unable to help Zimbabwe, and the slaughter continues in the Congo.  And there’s that climate change thing, and Australia’s running out of  useable water.  So, everything’s alright then.

Last night I found Jared Diamond‘s talk on Why Societies Collapse at TED.com.  It’s worth spending 18 minutes watching it, even if just for his awesome Boston accent. Recorded in 2003, Diamond’s talk seems remarkably prescient, looking back on it with 5 years’ further wisdom.  Environmental change, inability to adapt, incapacity to think beyond the short-term self-interest … although his studies of environmental history concentrate on individual societies, Diamond could be describing the entire human race right now.

For me, Jared Diamond’s key insight is that human societies have a general inability to plan for the long term.  We have evolved to instinctively choose short-term benefit, even if this means long-term catastrophe.  We’re also not helped by our political processes. Although democratic government is probably the best way we have of organising ourselves, a major weakness of democracy is that it encourages policy-making based around electoral cycles.

Politicians aim for targets that ensure they get re-elected the next time around – giving most policies a maximum time for payoff of between four and seven years.  No leader seems willing to make a good long-term decision if it might lead to a lower standard of life for their voters in the short-term.

Diamond suggests there’s probably not one single thing we can do to avert global disaster.  There’s probably a dozen things that need to happen, and we need to get them all right.  Off the top of my head – dramatic and immediate CO2 reductions, giving women an equal role in all decision-making, media and politics, reducing energy consumption, a re-thinking of the benefits and side-effects of economic growth… and that’s just a short brainstorm. Add your priorities in comments below…

Image: uncultured

So yeah, I’m a bit down on the whole humanity-planetary-viability-survival thing at the moment. I blame the cold weather in Birmingham.  But there are reasons for hope.  For example:

• ColaLife.org – a project to use Coca-Cola’s global distribution system to get medicines to patients in remote villages (possibly the smartest idea I’ve heard all year – for once, I really want to buy the world a Coke).
• ICRD – an NGO involved in peacemaking that recognises the necessarily important role that faith still plays in solving conflicts.
• Room to Read – supplying books, libraries and educational acitivties to children living in poverty. Founded by former Microsoft executive John Wood.

And these programmes aren’t necessarily the best, or the most worthy of our support – they’re just three I’ve learned about just in the past 24 hours.

We have brilliant brains, we have brilliant people, we have brilliant ideas. But we don’t have much time.  As with all strategy, the problem isn’t coming up with a plan. The problem is implementation – we need brilliant leaders.   Will we make it?

Sorry for the kinda heavy post. More of a mood-piece than a think-piece. Hopefully some music soon!