How to Save the Planet
A blogger writes:
"...I'm not extremely, steadfastly interested in marine biology, to be honest. Mostly I'm interested in doing something that will have a positive effect on the planet."
Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Marine biology jobs are few and far between. In any case, if you're like most people, you spend most of your time at sea either keeping your stomach down, or watching its contents float away on the waves. Intertidal ecology won't make you seasick, but it's a well-worn field with little application, the very essence of navel-gazing.
You want to save the world? Here's how:
Energy: learn how to make more cheap energy? Nope. History has demonstrated that the more energy there is, the more it is wasted. In any case, unless you're willing to pull nuclear out of its tomb, you'll never find a cheaper way than fossil fuels.
Food: perhaps, in the short term, but the more you feed the world, the more world there is to feed.
Medical: like food, the more people you save, the more people there will be to save.
Defense research: if you blow up enough people, it takes the stress off the energy and food supplies. Not everyone who wants to save the world considers this a viable option.
Basic scientific research: contribute to the total sum of knowledge in the world by doing research in some obscure field. Quantum physics in the early 20th C was the height of obscure, but a century later, via semiconductor physics, it had given us the iPod and the Internet. The quality of life was improved for thousands of people who can go to work and entertain themselves without ever taking off their bathrobes.
Dangerous Bill
"...I'm not extremely, steadfastly interested in marine biology, to be honest. Mostly I'm interested in doing something that will have a positive effect on the planet."
Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Marine biology jobs are few and far between. In any case, if you're like most people, you spend most of your time at sea either keeping your stomach down, or watching its contents float away on the waves. Intertidal ecology won't make you seasick, but it's a well-worn field with little application, the very essence of navel-gazing.
You want to save the world? Here's how:
Energy: learn how to make more cheap energy? Nope. History has demonstrated that the more energy there is, the more it is wasted. In any case, unless you're willing to pull nuclear out of its tomb, you'll never find a cheaper way than fossil fuels.
Food: perhaps, in the short term, but the more you feed the world, the more world there is to feed.
Medical: like food, the more people you save, the more people there will be to save.
Defense research: if you blow up enough people, it takes the stress off the energy and food supplies. Not everyone who wants to save the world considers this a viable option.
Basic scientific research: contribute to the total sum of knowledge in the world by doing research in some obscure field. Quantum physics in the early 20th C was the height of obscure, but a century later, via semiconductor physics, it had given us the iPod and the Internet. The quality of life was improved for thousands of people who can go to work and entertain themselves without ever taking off their bathrobes.
Dangerous Bill