I’ve worn many labels throughout my life… but the one that I like best is “polymath”. It has always been hard for me to limit my interest to one field of study. To me, the collective and cohesive understanding of how things work (science) is mankind’s most precious resource.
Someone once said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” In my view, those who stood up and changed the world did humanity much good. However, many of them cause problems as well.
There have been times where simply overlooking the bigger picture has caused these tremendous problems. There have been times where personal motivations outweighed those of the greater good. But today, we find ourselves in an enviable position:
We have the tools and the power we need to change.
In my analysis, the majority of our problems can be distilled down to two simple principles: inefficiency and imbalance. The human population has exceeded 7 billion which is beyond the carrying capacity of the natural ecosystem. Those 7 billion people’s dependency on fossil fuels is altering the ecosystem to a point where it may change the carrying capacity in situ. A great disparity between those with economic means and those without has created inexcusable governmental inefficiencies and an opaqueness that makes change difficult.
But there is hope.. people around the world are forgetting the old adage, “We should…” and are saying, “I will.”
As a thought experiment, I asked myself, “How could I best change the world if I had unlimited resources?”
I, Brad Hankins, will make this world a better place. I will help end fossil fuel dependency. I will make governments more transparent and efficient with their resources. I will help balance the population. I will live my life in a way that generates a positive return for myself and humanity.