Are Homo Sapiens a successful species?
What does it take? What are the odds?
Write a list where at the top are the factors that increase the chance of us being diverse and widespread in, say, 200 years and at the bottom which factors decrease it. Share a common document with this.
and/or
Please make a bid on this and answer the following 7 questions.
These should be answered and published by all politicians who can be voted for!
(especially after a week in Low Earth Orbit, where they have to write an assignment about what the Earth means to them)
1) What does it take for our species Homo Sapiens to be a successful species and still be biologically diverse 200 years into the future? (Biological diversity increases the chance biologically, because humanity thereby has a really wide genetic variation against, for example, pandemics, especially in relation to, for example, only being Chinese or another people)
2) What is your guess as to how many percent certainty there is that we ARE a successful species? Make your best guess between 0% and 100%.
3) What things NOW & HERE contribute to increasing our odds that our species Homo Sapiens is a successful species?
4) What OTHER things could contribute to INCREASING our odds that our species Homo Sapiens is a successful species?
5) What things contribute to DECREASING our odds that our species Homo Sapiens is a successful species? (Be welcome to suggest what would be needed to reduce these things)
6) Do you think that the more people who think about these questions, the better our odds are that our species Homo Sapiens will be and remain a successful species?
7) If you were to write a message to your great-grandchildren (or your relatives' great-grandchildren), what would you write to them?
An abridged bid by Jan Printz
(Cand. Scient in biology & mathematics)
More bids to come.....
ad 1) We are successful if we are still living on a diverse Earth in 200 years. Behaviorally, we should move in a more symbiotic direction, where we have mutual benefit from and with other plants and to a lesser and lesser extent be parasites. In other words, ensure a high biodiversity here on Earth (i.e. do not cause most food chains to collapse) and limit our pollution and predation of the Earth, including limiting the emission of greenhouse gases.
ad 2) A decade ago, I would say our odds were down to 33%, as there were no prospects for any sustainable solutions to the Earth's biodiversity and climate crisis. Here in 2025, I would say that our odds are 50%. There has been a slightly greater willingness globally to do something about it, including that investing in green technology such as electric cars is good! At the same time, we must remember that space exploration and, for example, the Apollo missions to the Moon raised our technology and society to such an extent and, for example, gave us computers. To what heights can these reusable rockets that are now emerging not lift us? The required technology may prove to help life the most here on Earth!
ad 3) All measures that reduce the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis. Everything from avoiding food waste, increasing the proportion of plant-based diets and vertical farming to reducing overconsumption and emissions of pollution including CO2 from coal, oil & gas.
ad 4) The plan to soon have bases on the Moon and Mars will put the development of reusability in such a strong progress that it will also have a colossal helping effect here on Earth.
ad 5) All behavior where we act like parasites, i.e. exploiting the surroundings while they deteriorate.
ad 6) Yes, an awareness of where we stand and what we can do can probably make more people want to be on the 'winning team' instead of on the 'losing team'
ad 7) I hope to spread my respect and admiration for nature to others!
Switched to organic around 1997. Replaced oil boiler with CO2 neutral wood pellet boiler in 2006. In 2012 got solar panels to cover almost all electricity consumption. I have transported myself around using a bicycle and public transport until 2011, from which I supplement with a car. From 2023 electric car. I cut my intake of animal food at the beginning of 2020 to a few % of what it was before.