Reason for Existence
One of the greatest assets humanity has is its diversity. With that comes different motivation for working toward the objectives of the Living Universe Foundation. The inspiration behind those whose focus is on their children will be different from those whose focus is on their immediate circumstances, or those who think in terms of the decades and centuries to come.
Immediate Concerns
Today poverty, crime, war, corruption, and environmental destruction plague this world. Recent global statistics show that 1 in 7 people do not have enough food, 1 in 4 people do not have access to electricity, and 1 in 2 children live in poverty. In terms of wealth, the richest 1% of the population holds 40% of the global assets, while the poorest 50% has only 1% of all assets. It is not that the Earth's resources are too limited, or that humanity is technically incapable of meeting our cumulative needs, rather it is that we chose not to. We are currently paralyzed by materialistic values and the fear of scarcity.
By utilizing plans that focus on the development and implementation of renewable energies and the stimulation of marine life for agriculture--both of which are characteristics of OTEC's--abundance can be created with currently available technology and systems. The work associated with such projects will also stimulate economic growth. Progress can begin now. In fact, it already has. The actions taken will act as a lantern; guiding a positive evolution of societal values.
The Long Term
Each year that passes the scientific community presents more and more disturbing findings. The trend is towards an unavoidable change via environmental forces reacting to overpopulation, exploitation of resources, and environmental destruction. This unavoidable change is unlikely to be beneficial to humanity. If this trend continues, our children will inherit an Earth incapable of providing the prosperity that many of us currently enjoy.
Utilizing ocean and space colonies--structures that must be independently sustainable under environmental limitations--will solve many pressing problems. Overpopulation will be alleviated by these colonies, providing a nearly endless expanse of living space. The need to recklessly consume resources will be eliminated once colonies are constructed that re-use and recycle everything. Environmental destruction on Earth will be curbed by the use of renewable resources and carbon sequestration in food and energy production. Although many of these benefits can be achieved today, it will require a global community to implement the solutions on the required scale.
The Really Big Picture
While debating the existence of aliens is a stimulating academic exercise, the fact is there is not a single piece of irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial life. As far as we know, we are alone.
If we are alone, as we must assume, then the only spark of life in the universe is vulnerable to being extinguished. While improbable, a number of life-ending events such as a rogue asteroid or a nuclear war could end all life on Earth. Life, in effect, has all its eggs in one basket. The risk inherent to this situation is unacceptable.
By enabling humanity to colonize space, we will ensure that no single event will be able to wipe out not just human life, but all Earth life. The objective is not to protect humanity, but rather to protect as many varieties of life as possible. This is about ensuring the spread of the green force of life into an otherwise dead universe.
