"We must go back to the genetic imperative from which human cultures emerge originally and from which they can never be separated without losing their integrity and their survival capacity. None of our existing cultures can deal with this situation out of its own resources. We must invent, or reinvent, a sustainable human culture by a descent into our pre-rational, our instinctive resources" --Thomas Berry
The Next Fifty Years: Changes in the World with Wofford in the Center
Thursday, May 17, 2012
2062: To the New Graduates
2052: The War on Resources
Many believe that this decade will mark the beginning of
World War III. This war, unlike the WWII, will not have anything to do about
religion or an elite race. Instead, this war is the fight for the basic
resources necessary for human survival. Over the last few decades, what we had feared in the early 2000's has been coming true. The pools in the Las Vegas desert have dried, grocery stores clear their shelves each day, the price of gas is at $8/gallon, and the students at Wofford are only allowed to shower once a week. Many parts of the west look like McCarthy's apocalyptic setting; the sun sets on gray, burnt, ashen landscapes day after day. As riots have been erupting across the country, the government is being pressured to invade our neighbors in hopes to obtain more water and food. China and India began using force to get resources for their combined 4 billion people five years ago.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012
2042: The Age of Biomedicine
Time magazine has
called the last decade the “Age of Biomedicine”. In the last ten years, we have
seen enormous strides in medical technology and health. With the increase in
genetics and stem cell research, there is finally a market for transplant
organs. Genes within pigs have been altered so that they can grow human organs
that can be successfully transplanted into patients. Although this sort of
technology could have been available ten years ago, it took years of political
and ethical babbling to allow large projects for consumers. Animal rights
activists declared the projects unethical and torture for the animals. Many
claimed that harvesting them for organs was no different from harvesting them
for meat. Also, many religious groups believed that creating these “humanpig
monsters” was against God’s plans and beyond our authority. Then, there were
the loved ones of those dying from liver, heart, and lung failure. Knowing that
some were choosing the life of a pig over their mom, brother, or grandfather
was enraging. In the end, it was the race we have with China for the best
medical technology that ultimately allowed the mass production of Organ Pigs.
The
first company to begin producing these pigs has already made millions of dollars.
Most of their money has come from people buying their future pig just in case
they may need an organ one day. The top selling organs have been hearts,
livers, and kidneys. Of course, this new technology comes at a steep price.
Some non-profit organizations have sprung up to raise money to buy Organ Pigs
for people who are in need but cannot afford them. It’s a classic tale of the
haves and have-nots. As have-nots die on operating tables from lack of an organ
donor, the haves are cultivating organs for their unknown future.
One upside
for the have-nots is the discovery of a preventative measure against HIV/AIDS.
Although the population of southern Africa has decreased by 50% over the last thirty
years, we can finally begin to distribute vaccines to young children in Africa.
It has taken three years to get the pharmaceutical companies to lower prices
and begin to mass produce the vaccine. In this time, I’m sure millions of
people died from AIDS related diseases and even more young people contracted
the virus. Although there is great joy and triumph felt in the medical field
around the world, some speculate what will happen to many of the third world
countries that have been hit hardest by the virus. As populations and life
expectancies begin to rise again, we can only wonder how the poorest countries
will be able to find resources for all of the people. Many believe that as we
save millions in Africa from HIV/AIDS millions will still die from starvation.
The massive followers of Thomas Berry are calling for communal action to save
all types of our human race not just the money makers. We’ll soon see the fate
of these Others that we like to believe are so removed from us.
Hopefully, Swimme and Tucker's optimistic outlook on the future of the human race, our world, and the universe will ring true...
Hopefully, Swimme and Tucker's optimistic outlook on the future of the human race, our world, and the universe will ring true...
It is in the nature of the universe to move forward between great tensions, between dynamic opposing forces. If the creative energies in teh heart of the universe succeeded so brilliantly in the past, we have reason to hope that such creativity will inspire us and guide us into the future.
2032: Another Tale of Chemicals Gone Bad
Something tragic has happened on Wofford’s campus since my
last blog. When I was there, I remember one of my favorite things to do was
watch the squirrels dart through grass, nibble on orange acorns, and scurry up
trees. Many of my friends would talk to the squirrels as we passed them on the
sidewalk and we would rate the bushiness of different tails. Well, the
squirrels are no more. The unforeseen took place and the squirrels turned
against the students. Normally, squirrels would hide behind trees or stay in a
rigid state position as we passed but slowly last year the squirrels began to
attack the students. At first, some thought it was rabies. When the first
crazed squirrel was caught and killed, it was soon apparent that rabies was not
the answer. What began as a few sporadic snips to the ankles became daily
attacks on anything the squirrels could jump on. The college had no choice but
to cancel classroom attendance and shift all instruction to web-based.
It took
months to determine what had happened; although if we had only looked to the
past, the answer would have been simple. The college maintenance crew had begun
to use the new rave in fertilizer. This special chemical compound would both stimulate
and inhibit the growth of our prized lawns on campus. If there were patches of
substandard grass, the chemical “knew” to increase growth in these areas. On
the other hand, it could also sense the growth rate of the grass and could
inhibit the length of blade to the desired height. Because the college could no
longer afford to pay the gas needed for lawn mowers, this new agent seemed to
be the best solution because obviously learning could not go on while the grass
was high. Of course what everyone failed
to consider was the effect of the chemical on other living things on campus. As
we should know, every living thing is connected; altering one part of a food
chain will invariably cause some change higher species.

2022: Nature as the Number 1 Enemy

Through the decade we have seen temperatures sore and storms become more sporadic and distructive as ever. To the future 2062 graduates, I wanted to insert an excerpt from Thomas Berry's The Great Work that might help to reveal some of the historical background to the cause of our climate change.
I would like to apologize to you, future graduates, on behalf of my generation and all those before me, for our lack of care for the environment and our obsession with material objects. The race to be first in technology or any modern advancement meant that nature had to come in last. I hope that there are still sacred places left for you to enjoy. I hope that from seeing the devastation of recent natural disasters my generation has lead the way for a new kind of living. I hope that we will find a new "cultural coding" and sustainable way of living before your graduation. I hope that the "good guys" will outweigh the bad in the years to come.New achievements in science, technology, industry, commerce, and finance had indeed brought the human community into a new age. Yet those who brought this new historical period into being saw only the bright side of these achievements. They had little comprehension of the devastation that finally led to an impasse in our relations with the natural world. Our commercial-industrial obsessions have disturbed the biosystems of this continent in a depth never known previously in the historical course of humans affairs.
2012: Why Wofford?


Welcome Class of 2062 to My Blog!
As I
approach my own graduation quickly, I am reflecting on my education; the things
I have learned and the many questions I still have. I have decided to create
this blog to document major shifts in the upcoming years in science, culture, education,
and politics for future Wofford graduates. The class of 1962 from Wofford
College had a much different experience than I have had in the class of 2012. I
know that for you, the class of 2062, your four years will be just as
different. My intention is for you future Wofford graduates (if there are any)
to read this blog and see how my perception of the world, my understanding of
life, and my biggest questions about life will evolve over the next fifty
years. At the center of this fifty year story will be Wofford College. Because
we can’t accurately choose a center of the universe, I am placing Wofford at
the center. I hope that as you read this, you will appreciate the past and begin
to think what you would like to see over your next fifty years.
“We are, as
it were, thrown into existence with a challenge and a role that is beyond any
personal choice. The nobility of our lives, however, depends upon the manner in
which we come to understand and fulfill our assigned role.” –Thomas Berry
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