(Spaceship) Earth Day

Inexorable Evolution and Human Ecology

Until humanity starts behaving
In logical ways
For logical reasons
Natural evolution will force it
To keep on behaving logically
For seemingly illogical reasons ---
Resulting inexorably, as at present,
In humanity’s backing
Rump-bumpingly into its future
While disregarding opportunities
To about-face and realize
Its inspiring passengership
Aboard Planet Earth ---
As its exploratory mothership
Of ever vaster and more exquisite
Macro – and micro-cosmic realms
And the frustrations
Of fearfully clung-to customs
Will persist unabated until
Humanity undertakes
Seriously, imaginatively,
Courageously, inspiringly
To employ effectively
The ever-more with ever less ---
Of effort, material, time
And tolerance of error
Per each accomplished task
The comprehensively anticipatory
Design science revolution ---
Being intent thereby
To make all of humanity
Successful in every sense.
As it undertakes design revolution
Humanity must also realize
That it can always afford rearrangements
Of the physical environment constituents
Which produce sustainable increases
In the proportion of all humanity
Enjoying comprehensive success ---
Provided only the task
Is physically feasible
Within ecologically critical limits
Of electro-magnetics, chemistry, time.
“We cannot afford’ assumes spending
Interstransforming as matter or radiation
Energy cannot be spent
Know-how always increases
Wealth multiplies irreversibly.
And not until then will nature
Cease to cope with humanity’s
Ignorance-prolonged inertia
Just in the same way
That human parents
Cope with their newborns’
Innocently ignorant
Self-helplessness ---
And that is by forcing man
To acquire the adequate technology
With which ultimately
To attain and sustain
That potential omni-success.
And until then it will be accomplished inversely ---
Through activating humanity’s
Death fearing instincts.
Fear forcing it to acquire
The adequate production-tool complex
As a consequence of inducing humanity
Into an investment and reinvestment
Of its best capabilities and resources
Only in preparation for war.
This inverse procedure will regenerate
To ever higher degree
Both the more-with-less energy processing
And its production equipment
And when man learns, if he does
To initiate the more-with-lessing
Under peacefully purposed auspices
Peace then will be attained
And Universe sustained
But not until then.

R. Buckminster Fuller, 1973, Earth, Inc.