Humankind has become an endangered species. Perhaps due to natural forces in a barbarous cosmos and unstable volcanic planet, both of which are beyond our control. Perhaps and even more plausible cause of human extinction is by the threat of strategic weapons of mass destruction.
Thanks to technological advances, human aggression, which was once a potential multiplier of survivability, may now lead to the extinction of the human species. Our aggressive behavior, as Stephen Hawking puts it, is “not calculated to aid the survival of the species.” The harnessing of the power of the Sun is probably humankind’s greatest technological achievement. It is that power of the Sun that is responsible for life on the planet. And it is that power of the Sun in the hands of humans that may be responsible for the end of life on the planet.
The outbreak of a terminal nuclear war is actually highly plausible. It is a constant threat that could potentially destroy the world at any moment. “In the past Russian automated response systems have come within a few minutes of launching a nuclear strike, barely aborted by human intervention. By now the systems have deteriorated. US systems… are (also) extremely dangerous hazardous. They allow three minutes for human judgment after computers warn of a missile attack, as they frequently do. Then Pentagon has also found serious flaws in its computer security systems…” (Noam Chomsky Hegemony or Survival page 243)
There are amongst the population voices that seek to address the issue of nuclear weapons. Though these voices are largely unheeded, they continue call for urgent action to combat the escalation of behaviors that may lead to the destruction of the planet Earth. One such organization of prescient individuals who can foresee the potential catastrophe that lurks in the future is the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
A public release from the board of directors of the Bulletin plainly states that they “urge the United States and Russia to commit to reduce their nuclear arsenals to no more than 1,000 warheads each by the end of the decade.” They advocate this as a measure that could likely avert the total planetary destruction that is currently a very possible and perhaps probable scenario, however nightmarish it may be. The organization also encourages the recognition of détente by stating that they “also urge the United States and Russia to finally recognize the end of the Cold War by abandoning the practice of maintaining thousands of nuclear weapons on high alert, ready to be fired within minutes.”
The release goes on to say that “reductions must include tactical nuclear weapons as well,” which are short-range, often land-based, nuclear weapons used for deterrence (http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/current_time.htm).
This comprehensive strategic to avert disaster is highly practicable by the US government. However, where the motivation to undertake such measures would derive from in the current batch of government leaders and high-level planners is, sadly, hard to discern.
To all those optimists who believe that the future will be a better place for subsequent generations, I urge a rational look at the threats humans as a species face. I also urge immediate action to raise awareness and political will to combat these dangers, because it is highly plausible that future will never come to pass.
