Quote:
Originally Posted by JerryLBell
In about a billion years, our local star will get enough brighter to cause the oceans of our little planet to boil away, so we really don't need to wait until the sun runs out of hydrogen and starts to expand radically (out to or just past the orbit of Earth) to find the neighborhood no longer what it used to be.
Besides, even if we could come up with the technology to live further out in the solar system or even to send humanity to the starts, it's not that likely that we'd live that far into the future anyway. Humans haven't been around for all that long compared to some dinosaur species, but even they didn't last a billion years. If we last another hundred thousand years or so, we will have had quite a nice run of it. Given how we have been as stewards to the planet, we probably won't last nearly that long.
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All true. So, what do you suggest our species should do? Take the pessimistic approach, assume the position, head between legs and kiss our buttons goodbye? Or, take an optimistic approach, try to be better stewards of our planet, invest in scientific plans that promote space travel for long-term survival and exploration? Or, lastly, ignore it all and play another round of golf and pretend everything is just fine?
Personally, I like option 2. Just because I love my species, that doesn't blind me to our faults. No kids means I have no stake in the future. Still, I'd like to think there is hope for my species, even though I will never know.