Considering the long-term survival of the human race

Although human life has become safer due to advances in science and technology, the future survival of the human race is much more uncertain due to an increase of risk factors, such as catastrophic events or global warfare as the result of the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Technology in society 1999-08, Vol.21 (3), p.233-245
Main Author: Togawa, Tatsuo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environmental Degradation
Human Ecology
Risk
World Problems
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Summary:Although human life has become safer due to advances in science and technology, the future survival of the human race is much more uncertain due to an increase of risk factors, such as catastrophic events or global warfare as the result of the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction. The development of worldwide telecommunication systems only enhances these risks because mass access to the same information sources will result in similar responses in times of crisis. Destruction of the natural environment can occur more easily if all humans adopt poor behavior uniformly. On a longer time scale, serious changes in the human genome may occur in artificially controlled environments. To ensure the survival of the human race over the very long term, all possible risks must be managed perfectly. However, no systematic approaches to this have been devised. In this essay, the author presents some important aspects of the risk factors for human survival, and offers practical suggestions.
ISSN:0160-791X
1879-3274
DOI:10.1016/S0160-791X(99)00012-3