The Look of a Planetary Hero
How a Billionaire Does the Right Thing
Life on Earth is in big trouble, way beyond anything ever seen before. It’s starts with our numbers. It took till the year 1927 AD to reach two billion humans on our planet. Since then, the population has quadrupled to more the 8 billion, with an additional 2 billion expected in the next few decades.
In consequence, here is what that means. In just the past 50 years, as our numbers have doubled, the wild animal population on Earth has collapsed by 73%. The biosphere, the living envelope we all depend on for survival, is coming apart. This has happened entirely because humans are taking essentially all our Earth has to offer for themselves. An example: the industrial brand of agriculture that now feeds those of us that can afford to buy food; right now that business kills and butchers 250 million animals every passing day. That’s just to feed people in the more developed nations. On our planet, there are also something like 2 billion humans that are starving or barely surviving.
Largely because of human eating habits, the biodiversity of our Earth is being shredded. Biodiversity is priceless. It is irreplaceable. It is in the process of collapse. Humans are entirely responsible.
It can only get worse if we fail to take fundamental remedial action. Our situation is that serious; like nothing we humans have ever faced before. Tribalism and self-interest offer no way out.
The existential threats we face are global in scale. They must be addressed with global-scale solutions; solutions implemented by worthy common purpose that is embraced by all the world’s people.
The Story I See Unfolding
It’s about renewal. It’s a vision of humans coming together behind common purpose. It is a fiction that starts with a very wealthy married couple, who see what is happening to their planet. They know very well that the Earth is the only planet they have. As the story unfolds, these billionaires use their money to light up the social media world with a story of cultural renewal. They align with a group selling an idea called The Earth System Treaty. Other billionaires join in. They find creative and engaging ways to sell their vision cross-culturally to the world. In the end, people respond, with the story ending in the best way.
As this fiction came to me, I thought hard about how the best outcome looks. What does it look like to actually inspire the world of people in the best way.
It starts with all the world coming together behind an Earth System Treaty. It is the beacon our world very much needs. It becomes an epiphany. It inspires a planetary scale transformation with its vision of the best kind of future for humanity and all life on Earth.
Coming Together Behind Global Common Purpose
We humans are now connected on a planetary scale. In real time, we can share messages cross-culturally. At this moment, there is no bright light in the media sky, nothing that works as inspiration on a global scale.
In the story I see, all humans across our planet recognize and embrace their kinship. It starts with a worthy beacon. The Earth System Treaty is that beacon; a beacon that brings our world together behind common purpose. We see good and thoughtful people everywhere, no matter their circumstance, finding trust, and embracing the principles at this treaty’s core.
So, here I am presenting this vision; a story that can become real; a worthy and engaging vision of the look of common purpose applied on a planetary scale.
An Earth Worthy Investment for a Billionaire
The evidence suggests there are at least as many good billionaire power brokers as there are bad ones. In fact, there are many more than a handful of billionaires on planet Earth, who are choosing to use their money to serve the greater good. The story I see in my head is available to all of them. Instead of pissing away money on mindless extravagance, use it to light the way to a future that is worthy of the most consequential species on Earth. In this story, we humans become – all gender identities, all ethnicities, all nationalities – all become equal in rights and shared responsibilities as planetary citizens.
If I was a billionaire, this is what I would do with my money. In the real world we know, there are many wealthy people who are using their good fortune to make a difference. They are engaged in the best way on a planetary scale. They are writing their own stories as planetary-scale protagonists
Let us hope that every member of the billionaire fraternity will step up and work for the best kind of human future. Yes, that’s a lot to ask for. But those invested in the current order will not escape their own ignominious fate. They will not escape the collapse of our planet’s living systems on a global scale. They will come to see the simple reality that if civilization on Earth turns into chaos, economic order will collapse as well. Extravagance will no longer have value. Massive wealth will no longer have value. Some of the wealthy may last longer, but they will be surrounded by civilization-scale suffering and death.
The Earth System Treaty Is Worthy Aspiration
I have thought a lot about the full range of options open to humanity, given the current deteriorating conditions for life on Earth. There is reason for hope. Early in the 21st century, we are connected on a civilization scale. We can share communications across our entire planet in real time.
Humanity needs a beacon of common purpose. The moment of time we are in demands a transformative vision that serves the best interests of all people, everywhere. Humanity very much needs a planetary-scale epiphany. In fact, more than a few good ideas have had that kind of bold ambition. Thus far, none has gained any real traction.
There is a new beacon offering direction and purpose. Called the Earth System Treaty, it is a beacon looming cross-culturally over all of our world, seeking traction with its common purpose messaging.
I’ve thought a lot about the Earth System Treaty. I declare myself committed to the Earth System Treaty. I have signed my name to it. I urge people everywhere to go online and read this treaty. Every person can read it and can understand the Earth System Treaty’s principles. Then, they can join others across our planet and commit to transformative principles it stands for.
When enough good people get behind the Earth System Treaty, that will translate to real political power, the kind of political power that can inspire the best kind of future for life on Earth.
A boost from the billionaires among us will go a long way to make the Earth System Treaty real; a worthy beacon for an enlightened species. All of humanity needs to come together behind a common vision; the kind of common vision that inspires trust and cooperation among all our planet’s people and the revitalization of our planet’s irreplaceable and indispensable biosphere. The Earth System Treaty is how we become worthy of being the most consequential lifeform on Earth.
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