In his book The Wizard and the Prophet Charles Mann describes two theories about the future–one based on the work of a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the other by a pioneer of the modern environmental movement.
Wizards are those who feel only technological innovation and human progress offer hope for the planet. Wizards argue for more — more power plants, more people, more technology.
Prophets, in comparison, are those who push for less. Prophets seek dramatic reductions in the ways humans interact with the natural world.
There’s also a third group: the Ostrich.
Ostriches, when faced with uncertainty and fear, stick their heads in the sand. Ostriches do not want more nor less, they simply want to ignore.
It is, of course, possible to change from a Wizard to a Prophet depending on the discussion topic. It is not possible, though, to make progress towards fixing the climate problem with our heads in the sand.
What are you? Wizard? Prophet? And when?
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