Disasters

This weekend, the ground underneath Chile shook and buildings came crashing while waves pummelled shorelines. The same happened recently in Haiti. Also this weekend a severe weather front blew into Western Europe’s coastline leaving structures ruined and many lives lost. All these events exhibit a natural, significant release of energy.

Investing effort and material into erecting long term structures seems futile. However, the pharaohs of ancient Egypt thought differently when building the great Giza pyramids. While the pharaoh might have hoped for an eternal building, we know that plate tectonics will eventually erase it and every other man-made or natural structure.

With a limited supply of quality energy available, how much of it should we invest in building structures that are, at best, temporary. Should we look for a more permanent structure on another planet or floating in space? Or, should we look at investing energy and effort in nurturing cultural mores and progressing societal values?

Turtle