Our innate human need to believe, in something, is distracting humanity from understanding its true worth.
We fritter away our intellectual capacities on hollow beliefs and yet largely ignore scientifically demonstrable contrary values that underpin the scaffolding of life.
The former are, almost without exception, rooted in emotion while the latter emerge from a rational, reasonable and thoughtful approach to life.
Reason, ration and thought, despite what we say, demand that we take responsibility to sustain life in all its fragility as against indulging in pointless and frivolous beliefs that when exposed to close scientific examination desert us to make no contribution to the enrichment and wellbeing of life on earth.
Scientist and author, Marcelo Gleiser (above right), helps us understand that through the happy collision of various inanimate substances, chemicals and circumstances, life evolved on earth about 3.5 billion years ago and its resultant asymmetry produced, ultimately, our universe’s most intelligent life form, you and I.
Late in the 17th century humanity experienced the Age of Reason and then, in the following century, came the Age of Enlightenment that was really more about values than ideas and ignited a questioning of traditional institutions, customs, and morals, and a strong belief in rationality and science.
Humanity glimpsed freedom, but never did it escape from the shadow of superstition and it was only recently that those at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas heard that Western modernity is threatened by a population expansion of the religious, an accelerating decline of liberal secularism and the rise of religious conservatism.
Gleiser argues for a new morality aimed at preserving life, noting that the most amazing fact about existence is that we are aware of it. “The most sobering is that, as with our ancestors, we remain alone as we contemplate creation.
He encourages us to come together as a species to fight for life and in closing, “Imperfect Creation”, Gleiser wrote: “We have a chance to change the course of things and salvage the world we grew up loving.
“Even if some have doubts as to how severe the upcoming storm will be, there will be a storm”, he wrote.
Many would be celebrating this week’s resignation of Murray-Darling Basin Authority boss, Mike Taylor (right).
His resignation ambushed many, including the Federal Government whose Water Act he and his authority had attempted to interpret with the intent of salvaging the integrity of the Murray-Darling Basin.
A guide to plan for the basin released earlier this year was greeted with hostility and argument that Mr Taylor and his authority had ignored social and financial implications for all those who lived in and depended upon the basin’s water.
Mr Taylor and others from the authority canvassed many basin communities over recent months to explain the intricacies of the guide, but instead of thoughtful deliberation those many meetings were received with mostly unreasoned, emotional anger.
Mr Taylor repeatedly told the thousands at the public meetings that he and the authority had done nothing more, or less, than interpret, and apply the Federal Government inspired Water Act.
In launching the guide, Mr Taylor stepped into the cauldron that was ablaze with raw nerves set alight by a ten-year drought and here was he, simply the messenger, telling the communities that they would be living and working in a future with even tighter water supplies.
Like the scientists trying to help the world understand the difficulties we face because of human induced climate change, Mr Taylor found himself in what had become a political struggle about something that was clearly understood in terms of facts, figures and undeniable realities.
Being a fellow grounded in latter, Mr Taylor was uncomfortable with the former and although I suspect he understood the plan to the guide to be correct, he was not prepared to sacrifice himself for the greater good, which he could sense was slipping away.
I’m saddened by this week’s development and do not stand with those who rejoice as I feel emotion insulated from reality has stolen the initiative and the long-term sustainability of the basin has been sacrificed on the altar of populism and a sense of what feels right today with little regard for tomorrow.
I fear his resignation will delay proceedings, allowing doubters to call for further reviews and consultations that will again delay of process that is already cumbersome and wordy and needed, beyond anything else, a speedy conclusion.
