Earth Day Thought from Jared Diamond

Earth Day Thought from Jared Diamond

The problems that we face are not beyond our control because we are the ones creating the problems. We can do something about them.

I’ve paraphrased a quote from Jared Diamond who spoke at an Earth Day celebration at Iron Horse Vineyards in Sonoma County. Diamond is the well-known author of “Guns, Germs and Steel.” Here is the essence of his talk:

In a beautiful area such as the Wine Country, in a place of abundance, even in California, we need to realize that the earth is under siege and that we are depleting natural resources that cannot be restored. Those of us who live in the first world might believe that we will be fine but we would be mistaken because climate change will impact all of us. Diamond believes that we are in the midst of a horse race between the “horse of destruction” and the “horse of sustainability.” Both horses are increasing in speed at an exponential rate. He believes that the race, which is fate of life on earth, will be decided by 2050. Will we continue to destroy life on earth or will we act rationally and create a society that sustains life on this planet?

He mentioned the line above –that these problems are under our control because we are the cause of the problems — as a reason for optimism. It resonated with my own sense of how we view the world as makers. We can make change. We can gain a greater degree of control over these destructive processes and find more sustainable alternatives.

Diamond said we already know how to practice sustainable management so that we can increasingly rely on renewable energy, forestry, and fisheries. We have technology that can make a difference. Diamond even cited how large companies are changing in ways he would have never thought possible and they are acting to reduce their impact on the environment. While they might be acting in their own self-interest, they have a better understanding of how their own business requires them to become better stewards of the resources they use. He mentioned organizations like National Geographic and others that are having positive impact worldwide. Diamond wonders, however, if we have the political will to make the necessary changes happen before it is too late. He believes that there’s a 51% chance we will do the right thing; and a 49% chance we won’t. Diamond encouraged everyone to do what they can, whether it is supporting the work of environmental organizations or acting locally to implement sustainable practices. What you can do is very much worth doing.

Diamond’s latest book is “The World Until Yesterday” which compares our lives today with traditional societies of the past. He writes: “Traditional societies may not only suggest to us some better living practices, but may also help us appreciate some advantages of our own society that we take for granted.”

The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond

Thanks to members of the MAKE team who participated in “Celebrate Earth Day in Green Valley” by demonstrating 3D printers along with Brook Drumm of PrintrBot. I hope we brought some of the maker spirit to the event.

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DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.

In 2011 Dougherty was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” through an initiative that honors Americans who are “doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” At the 2014 White House Maker Faire he was introduced by President Obama as an American innovator making significant contributions to the fields of education and business. He believes that the Maker Movement has the potential to transform the educational experience of students and introduce them to the practice of innovation through play and tinkering.

Dougherty is the author of “Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing our Jobs, Schools and Minds” with Adriane Conrad. He is co-author of "Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities" with Peter Hirshberg and Marcia Kadanoff.

View more articles by Dale Dougherty

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