The Challenge of Voyager: A Global Worldview to Rule our Nations

Recently, our space explorer the Voyager has just reported back that it is now crossing the last frontier of our solar system.  We are excited to have discovered that our solar system is being protected by a mesh of magnetic bubbles.  Our space missions are also delivering messages that we exist in this lonely corner of Orion Belt, orbiting around our Milky Way Galaxy.

If an alien were to discover us today, how will they reckon the state and power of our planet?  Obviously our capabilities are centuries away in enabling us to engage possible alien neighbors.  Many of us are not yet stepping out of our own worldview and recognize that we can have a common global worldview that can co-exist, progress and made strong by the dynamics of our diverse society, our diverse worldviews.

As scientists, do we have to abandon our religious beliefs if it can also harness our undefined power to love and hope?  Do we have to debate God's existence when all that matter is our shared concern for all people and our planet and that we can avoid the extreme power of our faith to harm other people (which is contrary to what God would have wanted for all his creation!)  Can we have a singular worldview that defines our common interests in a common language that deters personal bias?  Can we have singular worldview that can take any belief, any issue, any problem, any solution, any concern and see the meaning and relevance of all these and avoid many confusion and disharmony that plague us today?

Yes we can!  Americans have heard this before and it is indeed the deciding the power of our free nations as we see the growing worldview of independents powered by love, hope and clear scientific insights.  But much work still need to be done.  Many of us are still trapped in our personal prison and the prison of our own worldview.  We need to break out of our own paradigms and empower a greater paradigm that will move our world and make us ready to face other worlds that lie beyond our solar frontier. 

In the years ahead, we need to help escalate the power of the minds and hearts of 9 billion earth citizens making our planet ready to engage other solar systems beyond our 9 billion mile boundary and expand our global family into our galaxy and into our universe.

This is why today we need to translate and contribute the power of our beliefs and convictions into the simple universal language of our mutual interests and wield it as a driving force to transform our world.  Today we energize our hearts, we energize each other, we energize our hearts and minds and together we transform our world.

Discussed in TED Conversations.

Focusing on Climate Change. Population will peak at 9 billion in 2050.

According to Dr. Hans Rosling, an expert statistician, in a TED Conversation thread (excerpts):

1.  "We face many environmental challenges, but the foremost is the risk for a severe climate change due to CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.

I meet so many that think population growth is a major problem in regard to climate change. But the number of children born per year in the world has stopped growing since 1990. The total number of children below 15 years of age in the world are now relatively stable around 2 billion. The populations with an increasing amount of children born are fully compensated by other populations with a decreasing number of children born. A final increase of 2 billion people is expected until the world population peaks at about 9 billion in 2050. But the increase with 2 billion is comprised by already existing persons growing up to become adults, and old people like me (+60 years). So when I hear people saying that population growth has to be stopped before reaching 9 billion, I get really scared, because the only way to achieve that is by killing.

So the addition of another 2 billion in number constitutes a final increase of less than 30%, and it is inevitable. Beyond 2050 the world population may start to decrease if women across the world will have, on average, less than 2 children. But that decrease will be slow.

So the fact is that we have to plan for a common life on Earth with 7-9 billion fellow human beings, and the environmental challenge must be met by a more effective use of energy and a much more green production of energy.

The only thing that can change this is if the last 1-2 poorest billion do not get access to school, electricity, basic health services and family planning. Only if the horror of poverty remains will we become more than 9 billion.

So my question is: Are these facts known? If not, why?

It is important because placing emphasis on population diverts attention from what has to be done to limit the climate crisis."

2.  "The population growth we expect in the next 40 years are adults and old people that are already born. They will replace an earlier generation that was smaller, but the number of children born per year has already stopped growing since 20 years back.

So how would you avoid the final increase with 2 billion more. I can only see to options forcing 1 child policy upon young couples ... We should see it to that all have access to family planning, as an estimate 30 million of the children born each year are estimated to be unplanned. But 30 million per year is 300 million per decade and about a billion until 2050 so indeed with Utopian success in family planning we can avoid one of the two extra billion. But what more can we do? Already are 40 million abortions done per year. And had that not been the case during the last generation we would have been one more billion now. So the worlds women are already doing more abortions than they are giving births to unplanned children."  (http://bit.ly/HansPop, gapminder.org)

Is it easier to foucs on the population than the thorny issue of climate change because the latter is embedded in our economic systems?  But are we also aware that missing our climate change targets will cause more problems to our planet and to the population?

Can we take a look back and see that we, the people empower the system of government and business that is supposed to take care of everybody and our planet?  We empower our institutions and we work in this institutions but why don't we all get in return our basic rights and a healthy planet?   

What part of our solutions need more effort?

Solution 1.  Resolve crisis and global risks that may further weaken our world.  (UN MDG (un.org), WEF Risks Response Network (weforum.org), UN climate change conference, key nation's influence on global security and stability, etc.)

Solution 2.  Transformation of our economic systems into an equitable and earth-sustainable economic model. (WEF Global Redesign Initiative, businesses and governments, NGOs)

Solution 3.  Formulation and implementation of global transformation strategies of our industries. (WEF, businesses and governments, NGOs)

                                   

Solution 4.  Information campaigns to bring more awareness to people and strengthen our political resolve.:

                              -  more participation in our electoral process and constant dialog with our political representatives

                              -  social networks (TED.com, Facebook, etc.)

                              -  political and economic information and social network system to strengthen transparency and accountability

Solution 5.  Information campaigns to bring more awareness to what we can contribute individually, locally or as a nation (TED.com, carbon footprint awareness,  influence of our buying habits, etc.).

We also need an information system for solution and reform activities and see our progress and identify activities that needs more effort.

The premise of this website is to spearhead two key solutions that will help improve understanding,  cooperation and our power to transform and leave our true legacy: (1)  translate and contribute the power of our beliefs and convictions into the simple universal language of our mutual interests and wield it as a driving force to transform our world and (2) we energize our hearts, we energize each other, we energize our hearts and minds and help transform our world (TED.com, etc.)

This is the challenge to leave our mark and our legacy in this troubled world.  We take stock of our current power and influence and see what part of our solutions we can push and together we shall transform our world and leave a lasting and happy legacy for our children.