[ExI] Apocalypse Soon: Has Civilization Passed the Environmental Point of No Return?

[BillK]

On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 9:05 AM, Eugen Leitl wrote:
>
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=apocalypse-soon-has-civilization-passed-the-environmental-point-of-no-return&print=true
>
> Apocalypse Soon: Has Civilization Passed the Environmental Point of No
> Return?
>
> Although there is an urban legend that the world will end this year based on
> a misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar, some researchers think a
> 40-year-old computer program that predicts a collapse of socioeconomic order
> and massive drop in human population in this century may be on target
>

So, on the one hand we have approaching environment collapse, (and he
hardly mentions the approaching financial / political collapse either)
and on the other hand we have glorious tales of the approaching
singularity, the end of scarcity and a life of abundance for everyone.

How to decide?

Perhaps it is timing. If the collapse arrives first, then the
singularity could be postponed for a lifetime at least. Perhaps much
longer, as the recovery will have to progress without the easily
obtained natural resources that humanity will have used up by then.

Is it possible that all civs only have one chance at the singularity
and it is so difficult that they all fail and go into barely surviving
mode?


BillK