Human influence

The sheer size and scope of the problems we face can be overwhelming, so it’s useful to try to focus in on what’s important. Rather than trying to create an Inventory of everything that’s important (e.g. climate change, biodiversity, social justice, personal development, and so on), it can be simpler and more inclusive to start big and work our way down. Buckminster Fuller used a process called Start With Universe where he started with everything (Universe) and looked for meaningful ways to divide it between what is relevant and what is not.

In this case, a useful dividing line is between what humans can influence versus what we cannot.

Climate change would be relatively easy to control if we could change the amount of energy the Sun produces. We could turn the Sun’s thermostat down a bit and let the Earth cool. Of course, that’s not something we can do. We’re limited to influencing the chemical makeup of Earth’s atmosphere to adjust how much of the Sun’s radiation is retained.

There are some who would argue that humans are not limited to our planet. In a state of deep consciousness, like those that can be reached through meditation or other means, people experience a connection to the entire Universe. Some even report that they have communicated with extraterrestrial beings through this method and requested that they come visit us here on Earth.

I’m not dismissing those kinds of experiences. It may be that they are very important to the future of humanity. The experience itself falls within the “human” category, and any meaningful agency that we can have with such life could potentially expand the anthroposphere (world) well beyond geosynchronous orbit around Earth, but it is still part of that category.