text:
- Naveen Meena
- New Delhi
- India
Co-Founder, ThoughtLabs
This conversation is closed.
Development or Destruction, where are we heading?
In this blind race of development, are we not realizing that we are not developing but moving ahead towards destruction. As with this so called development we are facing serious problems like global warming, ozone layer problem, change in weather cycle and a lot more. In modern times only because of the indicators of our so called development, mankind is living a restless & complex life in a lot of fears, where he developed these tools for secure, peaceful & luxurious life.
Ami krieger
Mar 20 2012: Development or destruction? it is up to every one and all of us together to decide. Although the two talkers you referred to demonstrated two different approaches towards our current situation both came eventually with the same remedy, technology. But can we truly rely on technology as our sole salvation at time of need? As rational, creative creatures who are proud of their intellect, haven't we come to treat technology as a magic wand? We are sure that hocus pocus and we shall be able to get fresh water by some sort of a magnificent machine or cure all diseases through our cell phones (Paul Diamandis talk)....But can technology truly help us sustain our economy when we are living far beyond our means and resources? Can technology truly eradicate earth quakes and tsunamis? Can technology eliminate human sufferings and rage, can it stop the riots that spread all around the globe? Can it heal our personal relations and the crisis we experience nowadays in our families and schools at any corner of the world?
- +11
I do agree with Paul Gilding that it takes a good crisis to get us going but maybe we should get going in a different sense. Maybe we should look inside and try to find the solution there: Instead of ruthless consumption we shall try to consume reasonably to fulfill our basic needs, instead of glorifying our individuality and pursuing constantly ways to fulfill ourselves we shall try to focus on our community and assure the happiness of our neighbors, Instead of self centered exploitation of our human, animate, vegetative and still environment we shall try to live in balance and harmony with every element around. Technology will aid us, no doubt, but it might be that the present global crisis is a call for something completely different. As Paul Gilding suggested to enable the transformation that will allow us to survive and develop it will take each and every one of us, but it can be our finest hour if we'll answer the call.Mar 13 2012: We, as a species... Are headed... Wherever we want to go. If we want SUV's, coal power, 60 hour work weeks, and droughts... We can have them. If we want solar concentrators, electric motorcycles, warehouse farms, and a healthy planet on which to raise our children... We can have that as well. It's all up to 7 billion individuals to choose.
Mar 13 2012: And therein lies the problem: most four person families can't decide on which movie to watch. What kind of odds, then, do you want to put on 7bn people agreeing on how to build a world?
Lisi Hoff
Mar 15 2012: so true David. But first those 6.999 billion people will need to wake up :) As long as we live in the illusion that "stuff" can make us happy, we won't be.
- +4
Change is inevitable, maybe resisting less (read: stuck in the box thinking) and participating more will make those changes seem more palatable.
The real question for me: What IS progress? I do not think we are progressing at all. We are losing what little humanity we had. Gadgets, as much as I love those darn things :), and technology has done absolutely nothing to promote human "values" such as empathy, compassion, understanding, tolerance.and acceptance.
Our responses to technology has allowed a few countries to seemingly have improved their living standards. No outhouses :_P But NOT their quality of life.
And we all have to make our choices.
Mar 16 2012: As we have progressed through the last 75 years technology has made the human lazy (my opinion), especially my generation. I find that children do not have the drive to work hard at something and really make a change. Their too concerned with how many zombies they can kill in a video game.
Mar 23 2012: In defense of the people who you say are ' too concerned with how many zombies they can kill in a video game', there are many people who spend most of there time and thought in making ends meet with minimum wages jobs, and who also support other friends/ family, and don't have the time or energy to make changes like this. Life can be very hard, and some people are just so caught up in the stress of making ends meet. This would not be the first thing on their mind, and if their destressing/relaxation consists of sitting back and playing a video game then so be it.Mar 22 2012: A strong argument could be made that technology does not enhance human life, it only changes certain dynamics of behavior. Does it enhance collaboration and human interaction, I think not. Part of being a social being is direct human contact and association, not simulation through technology. More direct interaction creates a better society and increases our chances of survival and cooperation. Technology limits feelings and emotion and the impact of direct contact, it turns us into data and numbers instead of living,feeling, biological entities. Technology desensitizes human feelings in many ways or leads to misunderstandings and miscommunication. I cannot read someone's feelings through a text message very well. I could probably get a better job if I could get more interviews instead of being just a resume scanned by software looking for key terms that cannot and will not ever be able to quantify my value and character .
Mar 23 2012: I agree that technology 'desenditizes human feelings' and makes things less personal, as I prefer to actually 'hang out' rather than text, etc., and find it incredibly annoying that in the company of other people, 50% of the time they are texting, etc. However, I would also like to argue that this technology does enhance collaboration and interaction. I think that by using these other means of communication, it allows for more communicaition within the same amount of time, which is more productive, more organized communicaition, which also saves on time and keeps like ideas together, and reaches out on a broader spectrum of people and ideas. Also, in some instances emotions can be communicated through technology as it is not able to be elsewhere (i.e. my 'friend' can be very shy and communicates alot of what he feels through internet messaging, which he would not be able to do in person. So it gives some people an edge they may never have had)Mar 16 2012: Couldn't agree more but will the world change for the good of the earth or will we continue to destroy it for a life of luxury?
Lisi Hoff
Mar 16 2012: That, to me is still a toss-up. Unless we do "wake up" destruction is inevitable. The other possibility that I see is that Mother Earth will continue and maybe escalate disasters.
- +3
Crazy maybe :D. I do feel that the earth is a living organism and she wont put up with our abuse forever ;-p
Cher Calusa
Mar 21 2012: Earth is a living system and definitely has a feedback and response to changes and imbalance. Every system seeks homeostasis. This is a fundamental law of the Natural Universe, so I what you are feeling about Earth is a true perception. Necessity is the mother of invention and change. It is phenomenal how people will cooperate when disaster calls. We need to make the developmental jump in understanding that we can actually trade in this process of cause and consequence for focused intention and prevention. Every conversation we generate on this subject will speed us along to a greater consciousness. Our individual pleasures and perceptions are not as important as our collective efforts to unite our forces in order to navigate the wave of consequences moving towards us right now. We'll only be able to succeed together. It really is not about me and mine anymore.Mar 22 2012: well said davidMar 23 2012: I feel that the choice lies in the hands of very few (out of billions), both in taking the world towards destruction as well as towards development. And as an intellectual I feel that I have the power to have significant impact, through the choices I make in my life, in moving the world in either direction.
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Corey Hogan
Mar 8 2012: My personal belief Naveen is that humanity as a whole is zooming headlong toward unprecedented development, maturity and sustainability. We are already at the most incredible time in human development that has ever happened and I don't foresee very many things, short of a massive cosmological event, that could stop it now.
- +3
People on a global scale, are more intelligent, more connected thanks to things like the Internet and cellular phones, and less religious than they ever have been at any point in the past. This kind of environment absolutely breeds collaboration and the formation of new ideas instead of arguing or fighting over previously held beliefs. These three things alone our so capable of enabling the human species to help others, to stop violence or even to expose injustice before it gets out of hand that I can't even fathom how much more intelligent and peaceful we will be on Earth in a century.
We are the first generation in human history to scientifically look at our own genome, the deepest regions of the cosmos and to get close to finding a unified field theory in physics. People even a hundred years ago could not have dreamed that we would be were we are today, and this same statement could be used by us for the next hundred years as well.
Keep in mind that in the 20th century alone we had two major wars that tied up worldwide resources for over a decade, nearly 200 million young people were killed or died long before their times, we had several worldwide pandemics of deadly diseases or viruses, we invented terrifying atomic weaponry and suffered the unforeseen division of the world based on two major super powers for nearly thirty years. All that happened and humanity still flourished and indeed innovated more than we ever had before that time.
Don't worry my friend, humans are going to prove harder to kill off of the Earth than cockroaches by the time it is all said and done. I hope this comment helped in some way.
Jim Stay
Mar 8 2012: Well said, CoreyMar 12 2012: We all know that there is some opportunity cost attached to everything, and what all we are doing in the line of "development' has the same. The problem here is the opportunity cost is always subjective/relative, i.e. various people or better to say stake holders of what would I say, the ecosystem as a whole, but a commercial organization will always keep the profits on the priority and will neglect the other things. There maybe rules and regulation to avoid such things but we don't have a perfect governance mechanism.Mar 23 2012: I appreciate your optimism, but humanity as a society is the same as it ever was. Sure, on a technological level advancement can be easily quantified (but this development came mainly for the pursuit of money or military advancement). BUT, the last time I checked war and hate exist all over the world. Corruption is everywhere. All major economies have broke governments operating on borrowed fiat currency, 20+ million people out of work in the U.S. alone (its worse elsewhere), over 2 million people in prison (mostly drug related) with no future if and when they get out (ever tried getting a job with a feloney on your record?), global warming, pollution, famine in Africa, and less than 1% of the population control everything and set government policy while citizens naively believe their vote means something. We have a long way to go before you can convince me that humanity has turned over a new leaf.Mar 23 2012: The only hope we have is to use our new age of light speed information exchange to unite, rise up and defeat the oil barons, bank and finance overlords who currently run the planet. Will we manage this? No. Too many people still think profit equals progress.
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Mar 23 2012: Hi Joanne, Nice to see you back on here, long time no talk to.....
Couldnt have said it better myself!!!!!!!!
Whats even more flabbergasting is the fact that we are in a real tough economic situation that has forced many people out of their homes, jobs and education and yet they still cling on to the faith that profit will turn into progress and be the solution to all their problems....What more evidence does one need to realize that the global economic (the one that only services the banks overlords) system does not work?
Mar 24 2012: I hope you are well Orlando. Things do seem to continue to decline too, the oil industry seem to ramp up their efforts to advocate denial, less and less is being done to preserve the remaining CO2 sinks, i.e the forests, and we seem to hear more and more how technology will provide the miracle that ultimately saves us. What do you think? Do you feel optimistic about the future Orlando?
Bernd Fesel
Mar 24 2012: I am optimistic, but not because of technology... the larger the technology, the larger the desaster; isn´ t this history lesson? from the car industry to atomic power?
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I am optimistic because man survived all the technologies he invented to help him... - at least so far.Mar 25 2012: I am indeed doing very well Joanne. I hope you are doing well yourself
I Am actually intriged about your assertion in regards to technolgoy. Many anarcho-primitivist that I've talked to says the same thing.
I agree that although technology has its benifits, it is not a miracle. Out here in the U.S. we are told that technological innovation is what is going to propell the U.S. back to glory. Truth is, the U.S. is pathetic when it comes to technology. This is partly the reason as to why the car industry failed and they continue to have commercials about G.E. getting back on track.
To answer your question about being optimistic about the future I will have to say no:
In spite of the occupy protest, I am indeed concern about how many people put their trust in the government. I am also concerned that my generation is starting to develop apathy towards political issues. I am conccerned that mony and technology is starting to be the center of everyone values....
but of course if there is a will there is a way right?Mar 26 2012: Hi Orlando, I can understand this response,'To answer your question about being optimistic about the future I will have to say no:' given the level of ignorance you have to deal with on a daily basis.
And regarding this; 'In spite of the occupy protest, I am indeed concern about how many people put their trust in the government. I am also concerned that my generation is starting to develop apathy towards political issues. I am conccerned that mony and technology is starting to be the center of everyone values'. I too feel increasingly disheartened. I have even noticed among those people I know who are more aware, an increasingly nihilistic attitude is on the rise.
I also wonder how much longer information exchange across the net, will remain free. I notice subtle changes in the way Google and other search engines seem to exercise greater control over the portals of information exchange. I have the sense we are entering a new phase, and it may end in wholly unexpected consequences.
Desite this dire approach, I am still optimistic, I still have hope people like you and me can make a difference.
Mar 26 2012: Joanne, I swear at times I think we are mirror images of each other or you are my long lost older twin sister because we think exactly alike. and I am not just saying this just to say this but after this paragraph you'll notice the coincidence that I am referring to.
It is interesting that not only are you having the same experience I am having in regards to the ignorance and nihilistic attitudes but its really what you said about information exchange.
About an hour and a half ago, I was talking to a friend of mines about U.S. Politics, Obama and religion. In the discussion I was talking about Alex Jones (I am not sure if you have heard of him before and if not here is a link on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Jones_%28radio_host%29)
Now Alex Jones has a film out called "Obama Deception" (once again Joanne, I apologize if you already know this information so I hope you understand that I am approaching this only out of innocence and ignorance). Anyhow in the film it talks about Obama FEMA camps and how it recruits young men and train them to have a militaristic mindset.
Now my friend and I went on Google and could not really find anything related to the FEMA camps. Also when it did come up, it made it seem like it was like the boys scouts which it really is not for.
Now my friend, who really dislikes Obama, always post things online in different forums and on something called twitter. Now as of yesterday, he has been unable to access his internet which is quite odd being that he has great service from AT&T as well as a new computer.
Anyhow to get to my point, we discussed how the U.S. has passed a Bill in which they can just shut down anyone's internet at any given time. My friend refers to it as the "Kill Switch Bill" and this is something that Obama has approved which brings me back to the point that you made: "how much longer info exchange will remain free"?
even still, the world still has you, me and others like us to change thingsMar 27 2012: ...long lost (kiwi) older sister....that sounds like a good job to have if you ask me!
Your comment about FEMA is disturbing, although I am not sure how I feel about Alex Jones as yet. some of his sources seem a bit suspect...I need time to evaluate him a bit more seriously. Some of my friends here also follow him, almost religiously which is perhaps one of the aspects I distrust, he is almost a cult figure. I am not surprised to hear about the law whereby the govt can suspend or interfere with internet access at whim. I expect to see more action on this front over the next decade.
I watch with interest, as I know you will too.
Mar 28 2012: Hi Joanne,
haha, Kiwi of course!!!
But yes, the FEMA camps is really disturbing being that many families do not really understand what they are getting their young boys into. One thing that really perplexes me about the FEMA camps is that it is somehow connected with Obama's healthcare plan. I've been doing much research and still cannot understand what connects FEMA with Obama healthcare plan. In a video about the Camps the young teenage boys are talking about the health care plan and then they do some sort of dance afterwards. Its pretty bizarre but of course I'll never stop searching for the truth.
I embrace your skepticism about Alex Jones. I'm not really a big fan of his and do find most of his material suspect as well. My friend is into him without question but I haven't been a fan of his since I watched "Obama Deception" but I do respect what he says about corporations and those in power (although he's extravagant in his claims). But I do like how you mentioned how he is almost a cult figure. I've never thought of that but I can see how you would say it.
The government does not hesitate to interfere with online forums. There were many anarchist sites that I used to check out and have discussions on and one of them got shut down by the F.B.I. because two anarchist were talking about meeting each other and starting some sort of occupy event (this was way before the occupy movement). They were talking about direct action and protest but nothing violent at all. just a protest challenging the state and government.
The next thing I know the F.B.I. comes in, puts the moderator in custody and states that the site was advocating "Propaganda by the Deed", which as you know is used to make anarchist look bad
here check it out: http://indymedia.us/en/2005/04/6029.shtml
this is why I have the same concern you do about talking about the things we talk about on here and it would be a big blow to us globally if we cannot be connected to one another.Mar 29 2012: That is really frightening, your anecdote about the anarchist site, I mean. I urge you to cover yourself and keep safe Orlando. Few people realise the anarchy movement is a peaceful movement. I think the risk is genuine, and will increase as governments swing more to the right and try to gain more control.
I have strong doubts over the truth of the FEMA story. That fact that you were not able to verify it when you looked into it disturbs me further. To me that looks like an anti-Obama propaganda campaign of the kind the right wing have used for years to cause distrust and fear around issues of social reform. The only motive behind this is profit. Healthcare companies want to protect their revenue. Thats all it is about in my opinion.
Mar 29 2012: I'll be fine Joanne....thanks for the concern. It means a lot and you are right, there are not many people that can see that the anarchist movement at its core is peaceful. I mean of course there have been violent anarchist but for the most part, their values and principles are really peaceful and non-violent. But I''ll be fine and I'm sure things will work out in the long run.
When it comes to the FEMA camps I'm just a skeptic. As you pointed out, I could not find much info about it so its clear that my assertions are nothing but speculation and connections that I construed together. Your also rightly asserted that it is mainly those on the right that is just trying to make Obama look bad so I wouldn't be surprised to know that they are behind all this...
Regardless of this I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to Obama....There is really not much that I know about him and I really do not think it's by accident. I mean outside of "Hope" and "Change" I am not sure I really know who Obama is. What many people do not realize as well is that McCain, when he was running against Obama had the same slogan of "Hope" and "Change" but the only difference with McCain is that he was not that good at advertising it so it makes me wonder exactly who's supporting them.
Also Obama, won a marketing award in 2008 for best advertisement and this disturbs me as well because of the interest that was involved:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/29/obama-campaign-wins-two-t_n_222219.htmlMar 30 2012: Hi Orlando, dont be lulled by the campaign to shroud Obama in a negative cloud of mystery. Take a look at it, every time the right has its spheres of commerce threatened, certain individual groups pull exactly the same stunt, and every time the American people seem to fall for it. The Lewinsky, I call it. Obama is too clever and too squeaky clean for a real Lewinsky so the smear will have to continue to be applied until some of of the dirt actually sticks to him. Its a fairly simple straightforward 101 propaganda technique.
Obama does not have a hope in the re election, despite the fact he is clearly the best person out of all the potential candidates. The most educated, the most ethical, with the least amount of self interest that might generate corruption. Of course he was put on the throne by certain left groups. Thank goodness they managed it. Its a great pity they could not have also managed to maintain a democrat congress. Through this and due to the 2008 crash brought about by Bush deregulation of the finance sector (who could survive the aftermath of that?), Obama will topple. We will probably have to suffer another right wing (stupid ignorant, short sighted,purely self interested) American leader of the Reagan, Bush senior and junior ilk, instead of someone who will actually serve the interests of the real American people.
I know some of the policies Obama has precided over are some of the worst in American history, The Patriot Act, and the new legislation that gives govt undemocratic power over the internet but I wonder how much of this is generated from the Democrats themselves and how much is driven by power structures well beyond the current leader's control. America is not a functioning democracy any longer, not in any sense of the idea.
What are your thoughts on this?
Mar 30 2012: Hi Joanne,
its sort of complicated for me because my political views are obviously to the left but I do not identify myself by a particular party(or side). Which ever party is more capable of maximizing the greatest amount of well-being is what I'll go for but I doubt either side is capable of doing so and this to me is not by accident. I honestly see Obama as a blank slate that can be marketed in any way and this is something that I find to be dangerous.
The main problem I have with the left is that they cloak most of their policies under the notion of "Respect", "Peace", "tolerance" and all other benevolent terms. Now I am all for peace, tolerance, respect, etc but if you dig beneath the surface of many of their polices, you would come to realize that things really aren't as they seem and no one questions this because in doing so you come off as a unethical bigot. nonetheless there are many things that Obama has done that are quite questionable.: such as what he is doing with Afghanistan.
Your second paragraph is something that I agree with completely and I'll admit, I'd rather have Obama as opposed to any of the other candidates but I think he has a good chance if people are willing to be patient with him and I think that was the downside of his campaign in '08. It was so full of hope and change that the moment he got in, people expected intimidate results, although Obama stated that it would take more than one term to accomplish but obviously people were not listening to him and instead were listening to CNN and Fox News.
If you ask me, America was never a democracy and it never was intended to be but instead a poly-archy ( James Madison mentions it during formation of the constitution). So I'm actually not surprised that this is the case but it's disturbing nonetheless that my liberty is getting traded off for something else but I'm not surprised by it.Mar 31 2012: Hi Orlando, I just sent through my email to the laverne.edu address. Look forward to catching up more.
I think you are right, that the demorcrats, and the labour party in my country, are in the current climate, merely the marginally lesser of two evils. I note under the Clinton regime (I was also a Clinton fan) the process of deregulation of the financial sector that ultimately caused the 2008 financial armadgeddon, continued unchecked. He reappointed Alan Greenspan who should be in jail now in my opinion. You are right, the rot is indemic, and democracy seems to have little impact against the power structures that currently shape our societies.
Go well, I will send you a more detailed email through the week.
Apr 1 2012: Hi Joanne,
Although I was really young when Clinton was in office I must admit that times were easier and better growing up in america. I mean employment and school opportunities were great (at least from what I remember) so I can't blame you liking Clinton. This is before my time and I'm not sure if you remember but I was told that Reagan is the one who started it all and that G.H.W Bush and Clinton just went along with it.
haha, Its funny how those individuals who should be the main people to rot in jail are the ones who get away with it. I agree Greenspan, along with at least half of the U.S. government should be in jail for violating international war crimes but no one questions this. I think the reason why a democratic system has little impact is i because the citizens who are in it are unaware of the real power structure involved.
But thanks, look forward from hearing back from youMar 17 2012: I have the chance of being in contact with teenagers, and so many of them are absolutely amazing. We face huge challenges in terms of our environnement, global health, population growth, food, tolerance and compassion … and I think that they deserve our faith in their capacities and optimism about the future. Hyper complex human systems don't have to consciously decide where to head to, they move towards goals in chaotic ways but not necessarily destructive ones.Mar 16 2012: We all are heading towards evolution. We are developing. Destruction is also another way to create a new one.
The earth has changed her face many times in history, so she is doing now also. Many deserts were known cities and many new cities of present don't even have any signs in those days.
But one must ask this question to self on regular basis. In a short life of 6-8 decades, we must evolve and inspire others for the same.
A smile a day for few seconds can balance that what a million research can't.
regardsMar 13 2012: It is the conflict of the opposite in the name of development and progress. They called it CHANGE. The centre of a change is to enhances the dignity of the human person. If a change (Development or Progress) is not enhancing the dignity of the human person, it is destruction.
Mar 13 2012: Very intriguing definition. Thank you.Mar 2 2012: I agree, Naveen, that the path that the majority of the population seems to be walking is a path towards inevitable destruction. I don't think, however, that coming up with more machines to solve the environmental side effects is the solution. The real issue is that there are people whose minds are so blackened by the fog of their own egos that they are actually cutting down forests to make more money, they are actually waging war for the benefit of their oil corporations, they are actually watching children around the world starve, while they play around with buttons and numbers on the stock market to multiply their billion into billions, so that they can have even more paper stuffed in their bank accounts. The problem is not that the earth doesn't have the resources to support us. The problem is that we are not managing the resources properly. And we don't lack the technology to do so, this technology is simply being fought by forces we cannot conceive of, selfish forces with strange goals. I've always found the accumulation of wealth a strange goal, because life is short, and destroying millions of lives for an 80-year long ferrari ride is counterintuitive.
Change the patterns of thought, change the perception of life and of humanity, and people will start to work with mother earth, instead of on top of her.Mar 26 2012: Lots of good comments and sentiments on here!
Here is my two cents.
We exist in a social, physical, economical, spiritual and political system. We are not all placed equal in this system either. There are so many different cultures, languages, religions and belief systems that to come up with a value system that agrees with all seems.... well impossible...
The G 8 countries have a lot more power than the others and a different lense with which to view and measure development.
I do not have numbers, but even with all the economic growth in India and China, the number of people living above the poverty line that is truly refelective of standard of living would probably not align with official numbers.
A lot of these people have a different quality of life compared to ours.
It is like maslows hierarchy of needs, those who have all their physical and survival needs met along with self-esteem etc., can then look at self-actualization or have the luxury of making the choices to meet the needs of the so called GREATER GOOD.
Our first task should be to truely get everyone on the same page as far as standard of living and quality of life.
Our economy is driven by the oil industry and all its unsustainability. Our political, and economical systems are completely intertwined. Politicians are in bed with the corporations and the majority of our jobs come from two sources, Govt. and Corp. Not to mention problems of corruption in both.
So many variables to consider.
We say down with corporate greed! We want sustainability, but how de we maintain our economy?
How do we transition from totally engrained profit driven capitalism to production driven sustainability?
If the transition and change is too fast, it will be violent and chaotic, perhaps unmanageable.
I wish I had some easy answers or any answer for that matter.
On a positive note I see a great tool in the internet and how it can contribute to an environment of collaboration!
TED is a great example! :
David Denton
Mar 25 2012: Entropy.
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Bernd Fesel
Mar 24 2012: Naveen - you are talking of the "blind race of so called development" - a development always implying destruction. Agreed - indeed almost too easily agreed.
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the challenge is thus to find you if there is an open-eyes-race of best development - implying no destruction. so let us make a little thought experiment:
first, development and even change, be it even to the worse, always needs resources and manpower.
second, development always includes some and excludes others - even in a 100 percent democracy.
third, development is never linear, but works in circles - it is wasting time.
I am afraid development is always implying destruction; and even worse: no-development, no-luxury living leads to destruction also.
So am I pessimistic? No - not at all. Destruction is just the side of the coin called new and innovation. In philosophical terms: Even if we stop the global warming, this will lead to another destruction process - we need to work on. So - let us keep on working for the better in a world of second-best choices?!Mar 23 2012: We must be able to separate the "science" of these challenges from the "politics" and "financial winfall" for those who stand to gain from policies. What I find most disturbing today is not so much in the tragedies of what are occurring, but rather the callousness and down right evil of the deception that is a means to an end. And how people in the know CAN make a difference, but are not willing to speak up.
In the U.S., many people are more concerned with the news of individuals prosecuted for heineous isolated crimes, gay rights, chem trails in the sky that the gov't may be poinening us, whether Pres. Obama is a U.S. citizen or went to Harvard, and religious groups who believe the earth is only 7000 years old.
Folks, we must retrain ourselves in how to THINK & WORK TOGETHER as families, communities, organizations, companies, and governments with a common goal. Until we get this right, we will remain in harms way.
Southern CaliforniaMar 23 2012: Given that I'm an older member, my generation has been through many phases of development and destruction. I feel that we destroy to develop; however, we have much more to consider today. After WWII, we had the Cold War and the fear of nuclear proliferation which is still with us. We now have global warming, political leaders that are perpetually running for office and not caring for the people that voted them into office, world-wide banking scandals, illiteracy at increasing rates, homelessness and hunger at all time highs, wars in many areas of the world. I know I sound very downbeat, but these issues must be destroyed to be developed. It's my belief that destruction will lead to development to build a sustainable world that will feed, house, and care for all.Mar 22 2012: Humanity needs to re-define what development is. The current general definition is not very well organized and as a consequence chaos is the outcome. Then measures are put in place to counter the chaos which leads to a different type of chaos, and this cycle continues ad nauseum. Development for material gain and profit leads to destruction in most cases because production uses existing resources. So to develop "things" other things are destroyed. Humanity has sought to control most aspects of its environment with a high level of success, but some things that need to be controlled are not even considered or are considered taboo or worse. Human growth should be based on quality, not quantity, but a world based on monetary economics is in direct conflict with the "quality" aspect. The entire cultural attitude of society must change to living in balance with Earth instead of acting as a parasitic invader if we are to survive over the long term. The biggest threat to balanced development is overpopulation. This issue constantly puts economics in jeopardy in an effort to support more and more human life. If the population comes into balance then quality has a chance to develop a better society because resources can be replenished quicker, negative or flat GDP will not harm societies, the ecosystem can restore itself, and society can evolve to pursue self-actualization, not material (short-term psychological fulfillment) gain. Happiness only comes from within. The current status quo will only lead to a development-abundance-oversupply-overpopulation-recession-depression-war-destruction cycle, and this cycle will repeat as it always has throughout human history.Mar 22 2012: The remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still has one of the most brilliant answers to this that I have seen. We have a long history of only changing at the 11th hour, but of changing in a quantum leap. Our capacity to change once the undeniability of crisis passes a certain tolerance level can't really be measured, and that crisis threshold is an event horizon making forecasts and predictions nothing more than an academic past-time.Mar 16 2012: with limited resources, evergrowing population and new technologies used for consumption, we'll be proceeding towards destruction. few greedy people are using the technology for luxury in the present. i think our ancestors understood the consequences very well, hence they emphasized upon living simple life with minimum needs and respected nature a lot. today we are only focussing on the current benefits of techno n ignoring its long term effects.
Lisi Hoff
Mar 15 2012: maybe that is a matter of viewpoint.
- +1
We all know the answer, I do not doubt. Unsustainable. Period. Too many people, too many want more and more and more of which we do not have.
I have a sneaky suspicion that mother nature will take care of our problems for us.
Security and peacefulness comes from the inside, not the outside. If one thinks of luxuries as "stuff you can buy". That wont last much longer. imo because we do not NEED material luxuries, they consistently fail to "make up happy" for more than a day or two. Happiness, contentment and a sense of security are all attributes you cannot buy.
Sure you can live in a gated community with lots of cameras and lots of security personel. But that will not give you a true sense of security. That only promotes fear, and if you are afraid you will not feel secure, peaceful or prosperous.
What good is million dollar home if you always have to worry about safety and security?
Eventually we will destroy ourselves.Mar 13 2012: We are falling over ourselves to preserve an illusory lifestyle of luxury that is entirely dependent on the finite resource of crude oil.
It is unsustainable. Period.
The denial of evidence supplied by climate scientists, anthropologists, sociologists etc I find very interesting. Especially on a site like TED where science is ususally greatly respected.
It is yet another subject that now has to be viewed from the standpoint of psychology.
What might the psychological profile of a denialist be?
"...A climate denier has a position staked out in advance, and sorts through the data employing "confirmation bias" - the tendency to look for and find confirmatory evidence for pre-existing beliefs and ignore or dismiss the rest."
(New Scientist, 18 May 2010)
A denier is driven by religious or idealogical belief, and the commitment to that belief takes precedence over evidence - even in the teeth of evidence that is overwhelming.
Should we be acting on inconvenient truths, or the preservation, at all costs, of a comforting lie?
Mitch SMith
Mar 11 2012: Who are "we".
- +1
If it is just us few in this discussion .. I think we have a good chance for a bit of both - destruction and development.
"We" as the human species .. well, it depends on what you call destruction.
Certianly, a certain amount of destruction always happens, and certainly, we are now facing some very large destructions due to disruption in economy and resource availablity.
But the spectre of total destruction seems a possibility now - depending on what happens with atmospheric carbon.
"We" as life and biodiversity on planet Earth have been in a process of destruction for quite a while now.
Life develops .. it just does that .. populations rise and fall and go extinct. It's all development - just so long as conditions allow. There is no life on Venus that we know of .. perhaps there is, but we would be hard pressed to understand or perceive it.
Change always infers that some things come, and some go.
As for our personal selves? I think "challenge" is a better word than development or destruction - will we be successful in our challenges? We will do our best - if that is good enough, we will develop.Mar 30 2012: In my opinion, Ecosystem should be maintained for the development. Ecosystem consists of both Development and Destruction. For an example if we can assume every people lives in this world are richest then what will happen.Mar 30 2012: That's one of the best questions of our times. Maybe because no one can answer it.
Sometimes I think we are "gods with animal instincts". As gods, we have the power to change the world, to shape the life as we want it. And as animals, all our actions refers to 3 basic instincts:
- reproduction (a look at the world population, all the innovation in medicine against infertility...)
- self-preservation (eat more, produce more, make the best "nest" possible)
- domination (having "the biggest one", "the best one" is a key of innovation these days)
And with this 3 motivations, the majority of us just follow the pack, heading faster and faster toward destruction, guided by people who don't want any change. But the power of acting, changing is not anymore in their hands, TED shows it every days.
And there are never been so much people willing to change, to go for "the best evolution".
I don't think we should look for "development", because it involves an idea of "more".
To me, the big challenge for the 21st century (or the 3rd millennium?) will be to replace "growth" by "balance". We've never been a balance species: a species defines itself by the relationships with its neighbours : flowers are nothing without bees, rabbits would never be that fertile without foxes... We are the only species which is totally out of balance, and we have to survive it if we want to keep a place on the earth. We don't have any predator anymore (which is a good thing), but we should learn to balance our population by ourselves. and we don't need force or war for that: education, health care and sensibilisation to this problem should be enough.
A TED talk related to this idea: http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.htmlMar 30 2012: I think the simple but not so simple answer to this is we should strive to understand everything before blindly going forward, which is part of the scientific method. Doesn't always work but this universe is full of improbabilities, not impossibilities. So it order to move forward we have to take that step. I better stop rambling before it becomes a bunch of what if non sense.
Thank you for your time.Mar 30 2012: Choose a different direction altogether and avoid the question completely. I bring Your attention to My conversation:
http://www.ted.com/conversations/10401/call_for_the_release_of_electr.htmlMar 28 2012: I think we are heading towards total destruction, but I also think it's the only way to start a new era of peace and success...Mar 28 2012: Over the past century or so, I believe that we have been heading rapidly down a path of destruction, as we were much less educated on the environmental issues in the near future. But now that we have the knowledge of these issues, I feel that now we can start constructing ideas to develop the world in a environmentally friendly way, while working on solutions to the problems you have stated above.Mar 26 2012: All the development around is too materialistic and mostly associated with increasing our comforts. I can not say if it heading towards destruction, but as a human, we are posing threats to ourselves by getting addicted to these comforts and the addiction causes anxiety and worries for sustaining all we have!Mar 24 2012: In regards to Camille's comment, on enhancing collaboration and interaction... technology had definitely changed the dynamics, i.e. there is more communication and interaction points. But the quality of that communication is what I argue is in question, and also the behavior. And what I mean by that is people say things through technology that they would not say to someone face to face. And is more communication points better than more specific contact? That is what I put into question. If we are to say something on a text, email, Facebook, My Space, Google +, LinkedIn, or comment on this very web site, and if we are not true to ourselves and act consistently and behave as if the company we our speaking to is present then miscommunication is more likely. Body language, facial expression. voice inflection, add value to personal contact (you get a feel for the trustworthyness of a person). All those things are not present when typing, thus it becomes easier to lie, cheat, and misrepresent true intentions, or express things we wouldn't normally say, and to me that creates more problems than it fixes. So interaction has increased if you look at the number of contacts, but is this good interaction.. healthy interaction? As far as collaboration, personally it failed in my college teamwork. Technology was there, but it did not create better teamwork...just the opposite. Now if we had to meet face to face more often, the slackers would have felt guilty when questioned about their effort and might have worked harder. But when they could avoid personal interaction to do their part, they didn't have to face the team thus making it easier to not pull their weight on the project, or express groupthink instead of putting in new ideas. So is technology development or is it just a different spin on society in general. It could be considered deevolutionary in terms of social behavior. Easier, quicker,convenient is not always better... but don't tell business marketers that (lol).Mar 23 2012: I think that with development there will be destruction, because nothing is perfect and things usually do not go as planned. I also believe that when a new idea emerges (in reference to development), people get excited and because the POTENTIAL positive outcome outweighs the POSSIBLE negitive effects, we are quick to act 'in the name of human advancement'.Mar 23 2012: Yes. Destruction.Mar 23 2012: Destruction.Mar 22 2012: In my opinion, mankind has huge responsibility they have commited for a long. probably they will destroy lots of thing, such as naturals and animals like they have done. I convince of there are no recovery for the next generation. we should remind ourselves happiness to organize our society.Mar 21 2012: I saw we're split some so stuck on old ways that will lead to destruction. While the others want to develop.Mar 19 2012: In the last post, ''but that didn't prevent the human resource utilization curve from getting any flatter'' should be ''but that didn't MAKE the human resource utilization curve any flatter''Mar 19 2012: I think the world would run out of resources. The logic is simple--the number of humans on earth are increasing, and each person is using more resources, as technology develops. So if we draw the earth's resources as a flat line, and another line that shows resource consumption, then the latter would be an exponential curve running straight into the flat line. And, so clearly that should alert us of danger. We talk of technology having a exponential curve in the last 100 years, or 400 years, but that didn't prevent the human resource utilization curve from getting any flatter. Ofcourse things can change today, if the presidents of the world together agree to lower the resource consumption of their countries with the help of advanced technology. But we are not doing that, are we? In the video above, they are not even accepting that there is a problem! They are just looking at the technology curve and being happy with all the wonderful things that technology brings. They haven't even mentioned about the resource consumption curve.Mar 18 2012: It may be! hahaMar 18 2012: It looks like we are developing like mad to most efficiently destroy.
Mar 16 2012: Who said that the people actions make sense ?Mar 16 2012: Evolution is both developmental and destructive and it has been since the earth has been formed. Humans are made to change and adapt, so if destruction happened we would have to adapt until we could progress again.Mar 13 2012: I agree with your opinion that we are facing the destruction in near the future. now there are lots of convenient things in our world. but we may meet with the lives we feel sorrow and suicide due to the convenient routines. I am anxious of the next generation who may face the situations. even if convenience and technology are nesessary, we should treat with it to teach our children into right way.Mar 12 2012: We, as the human race, are destructively preceding towards independant sustainability.
- 0
When this trade is mastered, the polution from past times will be harvested as valuable assets to technological completion.
A true problem however, will be our mental state and psychological needs.Mar 11 2012: Naveen, the simplest, most direct, efficient and effective solution to the problems you mention and other problems you did not mention is to immediately distribute power equally among males and females. The complementarity and cooperation of the different perspectives will cause all systems to function to accomplish all of our positive goals. Power and control freaks who feel a need to dominate anyone at all are the very ones who are impeding positive progress. Those people are basing their decisions on fear, paranoia, negative assumptions that are incorrect. How can we get females and males into relative equality throughout all systems as soon as possible?
When in doubt, assume positive.Mar 11 2012: I don't know, i do see intellects, development and hear of many innovations, lets see.......Mar 10 2012: It depends on where you are in the spiritual journey. When survival is threatened (whether real or imagined), human passions lead to herd mentality. Many religions are operating that way today. The free thinker knows that we have to rise above this mentality. That was the spiritual ascension to what is called "Christ" (the seventh energy chakra of
eastern philosophy)
I believe that the end of the Mayan calendar is an event horizon that will open doors to possibilities previously unknown. It is not the end of the world, it is the end of the evolutionary process as we know it. To know what I mean, go to www.scienceandreligionconverging.com click on "about the book" and scroll down to "the Mayan calendar".
When protons, neutrons, and electrons come together, they form an atom, complete with structure; shells and subshells in the nucleus and electron orbits. The structure was already there in hiding. But until that condition was reached, you would have no way of knowing it. I believe that there are realities in hiding that are going to show themselves at their appointed time. If we don't lose our love for one another, we will get through this.
Lisi Hoff
Mar 11 2012: Maybe we have to let go of the old to let in the new?
- +1
Maybe we need to let go of fear and accept that Nothing in the physical world is permanent, Nothing!
Mar 12 2012: Hello Lisi,
I believe you are right. People do terrible things when they are afraid. I believe in a power greater than myself. That power has guided me thus far. The physical world is made up of quantum energies integrated into a collective whole. The energies themselves are the only thing that's real.Mar 10 2012: Consider Buddha's enlightenment story, the great battle with Mara, whose name means "destruction" and who represents the passions that snare and delude us.
Jim Stay
Mar 8 2012: Naveen, we appear to be headed for a precipice, but we know it, and have the ability to change it.
- 0
As always, the solution is through the middle; not looking back, but using our technical knowledge to solve the problems. I am 70 years old, and most of what has been development has happened in my lifetime. Most of it has been for the good, but we have ignored the problems, like pollution and drug-resistant pathogens.
The solutions will be many and they will be very expensive. But it can be done.Mar 3 2012: To understand this I would like to compare what is happening and what happened in past, and maybe we'll come to know that the outcome of all this is not what was supposed. Or say we didn't realize that fact.
I have tried to understand and share my observations in a blog post (as I can't write more than 2000 characters here). Please do check and let me know what you think: http://naveenmeena.in/development-or-destruction-where-are-we-heading/Mar 2 2012: Manmade global warming is a hoax perpetrated by globalists to extract taxes to fund their growing global government. Cooling and warming are the natural ebb and flow of the Sun's influence on the earth. What is more of a challenge by industrial development isthe proper disposal and re-use of its waste products. It's up the the people lobby for the proper disposal and re-use of its waste products.Mar 2 2012: Availability,abundance,cheap,limited lifespan. Modern building system.
I have a hope for the future that we master genetic engineering to a point where we can grow our own houses/buildings that can be reconfigured,self sustaininhg,self repairing, that provides a limited amount of water from condensation to ground water from a root system.These buildings will also recycle human waste and filter c02,i could go on,it's a dream.


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Night In Barcelona Shirt: After tapas and before paella was that party in Marcela's apartment near Carrer Montcada with the slab of Roman wall exposed in the living room. The best of times has no dress code, but a splendid shirt comes in handy. This fabric is a soft, yarn-dyed 100% cotton in a barré weave from Germany that shows poplin, twill and sateen textures in rich colorplay. Point collar, smoke-shell buttons, one patch pocket. Machine washable. Classic Fit. Imported.
Read what customers are saying about this product:
Rating: 5.00 out of 7 votes cast
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6' 175 and a MT fits well. Shirt is very nice looking and I always hear about it when I wear it out. Well done.
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Excellent dressy/casual
I bought this for my husband in the Grey (which is very dark, I would call it black) initially. It is gorgeous on him and the silky feeling cotton has a subtle sheen. After several washings, it still looks brand new, i.e., has retained it's lustre. No shrinkage at all. He liked it so much that I bought it in the Blue also. He wears shirts to work, but not shirt and tie, his office is slightly more casual, this is a shirt he wears on meeting days, slightly more impressive than his usual office wear. He also wears it out at night if we are going to a party etc.
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Comments On Jun 26, 2015:Great coolant, but it is not antifreeze! For racing though, this stuff just downright works!
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Comments On Jul 28, 2014:Coolant works as claimed. No freeze protection however.
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Comments On Aug 13, 2013:i used to over heat a little but since ive been useing this no problem at all
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Comments On Jul 02, 2013:Stuff is good and not to expensive the more i research though i hear that 100% distilled water works the same so don't know if i will purchase again just due to cheapness of myself.
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Comments On Jun 15, 2013:I have always used engine ice, but one day I needed coolant and was short on cash so i bought maxima cool aid. I was supprised how easily my bike (07 yz450f) overheated when ideling, whent back to engine ice and my bike hasn't over heated since. Don't cheat your bike, spend the extra cash!
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Comments On Apr 18, 2013:Works great, run this in all my bikes
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Comments On Mar 24, 2013:No mixing required, worked great, great price. would recommend.
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Comments On Dec 11, 2012:I gave it 4/5 because my bike recently overheated after running this. Not sure if it was because i was doing some hard trails and had very little airflow on radiator and was really pushing the bike, or just this coolant. I suspect the condition and not the product though.
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Comments On Aug 27, 2012:Works good but you have to drain it in the winter or it will freeze.
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Comments On Jul 27, 2012:Can mix with stock coolants. Does not offer freeze protection. Does lower engine running temp and is cheaper than engine ice and similar more expensive brands
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New Faces: Newly Elected US Senators
Republican Jeff Flake, the congressman who won Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat, built his reputation on a fierce opposition to "earmarks," the special funding requests for roads, bridges and other local pet projects that are criticized as wasteful patronage.
His opposition to pork-barrel spending has proved popular in the past, but Flake faced criticism during the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Jon Kyl that his crusade has hurt efforts to attract new businesses to the state.
"Arizona is far better without earmarks," a confident Flake said during an October debate.
Flake, who has represented cities in eastern metro Phoenix in Congress since 2000, won the Senate seat over independent-turned-Democrat Richard Carmona, who served as President George W. Bush's surgeon general.
Before Carmona entered the race a year ago, both parties viewed Flake as the overwhelming favorite. The contest grew more competitive after Flake emerged from a bruising primary against a wealthy businessman who put $6 million of his own money into the race and outside groups threw in about $15 million into the general-election contest in October.
Flake has supported Republican priorities over the years, but also has sided with Democrats on other issues.
In the past, Flake opposed the rescue of financial firms during Bush's administration, the 2010 health care overhaul and the 2009 economic stimulus package. He has applauded the Obama administration's decision to lift a ban on travel and remittances to Cuba.
Flake has been criticized for changing his immigration views. He supported proposals in the past that would have revamped guest-worker programs and created a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. But he took a narrower position when he announced his Senate candidacy last year, saying voters won't trust government to fix the nation's immigration woes unless it can first secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
When Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy neared the end of his victory speech in a bruising U.S. Senate race Tuesday night, he returned to the story of his mother rising out of poverty and what the election meant for a fictional girl living in a public housing complex.
The three-term U.S. congressman said voters gave the girl a better chance at a brighter future.
"She's wondering whether that promise that was made to my mother - work hard, play by the rules and you'll have a chance to make it - is still alive," he said. "She's going to wake up tomorrow and know that that chance to be great ... is just a little bit closer. And in the end my friends, that is the most important measurement of what we've done here tonight."
Murphy defeated Republican former wrestling executive Linda McMahon in the race to succeed retiring independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, touting his commitment to the middle class and accusing McMahon of favoring the rich. In the process, he survived McMahon spending $42 million of her own money, $8 million short of what she spent in her unsuccessful bid for Senate in 2010.
He also survived McMahon's attacks on his past financial problems, which included late mortgage and property tax payments, despite McMahon's own bankruptcy years ago.
His victory was part of Democrats' sweep of five congressional races in Connecticut.
Murphy, who served eight years in the state legislature before going to Congress, said his priorities include reforming the tax code to help small businesses, promoting and strengthening American manufacturing, rebuilding roads and rails, improving education and growing the renewable energy industry. He agrees with President Barack Obama on most social and economic issues.
Bridging the bitter divide between Democrats and Republicans in Washington has been another of his goals. He is a co-chairman of the Center Aisle Caucus, a bipartisan group of House members trying to promote civility and positive dialogue in Congress.
While campaigning for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono rarely shied away from fierce support of Democrats and consistent criticism of Republicans, arguing that her party's stances better reflect the values of Hawaii.
Now, after trouncing former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, Hirono is embracing her standing as the state's first woman to serve as senator and the Senate's first Asian-American woman.
Hirono told The Associated Press after winning Tuesday night that the historical footnote says more about the makeup of the country's electoral pipeline.
"What it reflects is that we need a lot more diversity in the United States Senate," said Hirono, who was born in Fukushima, Japan. "I'm going to do my part to support more women to run for Congress and certainly support more minority candidates."
Hirono, 65, moved to Hawaii with her mother in 1955, then went on to practice law in Honolulu before she was elected to the Hawaii Legislature in 1980. She was elected as lieutenant governor in 1994 and 1998, then lost a governor's race to Lingle in 2002. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2006, and is generally considered one of its more liberal members.
Hirono ran on a platform of stopping Lingle as a representative of national Republican interests. At every turn in the race, Hirono linked her opponent with well-known GOP names including Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and George W. Bush.
Hirono held court for Democrats in a state known to support the party. President Barack Obama topped the ticket for Democrats in his birth state in his bid for re-election.
While Hirono didn't win as much support as Obama in the state, she beat Lingle with nearly 62 percent of the vote compared with nearly 37 percent for Lingle.
Hirono has followed other Democrats on several issues, including Obama's jobs plan and health care reform.
Democrat Joe Donnelly is a three-term congressman from northern Indiana who ran as a centrist highlighting his support for extending the George W. Bush-era tax cuts while fending off attacks over his support for the federal health care overhaul.
He was born in Massapequa, N.Y., and received bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He worked as an attorney and ran a printing business before defeating Republican Rep. Chris Chocola in 2006. He had lost to Chocola him two years earlier.
Donnelly entered the U.S. Senate race after GOP-controlled redistricting moved a couple strong Republican counties into what had been a swing district.
The Senate race turned in Donnelly's favor after Republican Richard Mourdock said in a debate that pregnancies resulting from rape are something "God intended." Donnelly, meanwhile, twice supported a bill that would have denied federal abortion funding even in cases of rape and incest.
Donnelly positioned himself during the campaign as a bipartisan problem-solver against the tea party-backed Mourdock, who defeated longtime Sen. Richard Lugar in a contentious Republican primary.
Donnelly, 57, and his wife, Jill, have two children.
When asked about his vote of the federal health care law, he told the story of his daughter, who takes Enbrel for her rheumatoid arthritis, at a price tag of $1,500 a month. Donnelly says he worried about people who can barely pay their rent being able to afford such drugs.
"How do they make it so their daughter doesn't have to go in a shower stiffened up every single day, as opposed to being able to get this prescription?" he said.
Independent Angus King may be just starting out in his new role as a U.S. senator, but he's long been a well-known figure in Maine whose independent politics have been his calling card.
The 68-year-old King was Maine's governor for two terms between 1995 and 2003, establishing credentials as someone who could work with both parties. Before that he spent 18 years as a public broadcasting commentator on state public policy issues.
Angus Stanley King Jr. was born in Alexandria, Va., grew up there in a politically active family, and after law school at the University of Virginia came to Maine as a lawyer serving low-income people.
He later went to work for William Hathaway, the Democrat who ousted entrenched Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith from her Senate seat. Hathaway's election in 1972 led to King's appointment to staff of the Senate Labor Committee.
With King's 2012 election, he returns to the national political stage - only on a different level. Then, he was refining policy. Now, he's in a position to shape policy in a much more polarized environment, said Rutgers University political science professor Ross Baker.
Asked whether King will have any influence in Washington, Baker said, "Just ask Joe Lieberman," referring to the Connecticut independent who is retiring. "Independents have a huge impact."
Being independent wasn't always easy, but King made it work.
He walked into a state government on rocky fiscal ground in which cutbacks were required to keep the books balanced. But gradually, as the economy improved, state tax revenues poured in beyond anticipated levels.
King was involved in hydropower and energy conservation work before running for governor, and after serving got involved in wind power. He sold his stake in the wind company when he ran for Senate.
On the campaign trail, Democrat Elizabeth Warren told supporters she never envisioned jumping into the rough and tumble of electoral politics - let alone making the U.S. Senate the object of her first campaign.
Now the 63-year-old is preparing for the transition from the upper echelons of academia at Harvard Law School to the halls of Washington, where she will occupy the seat once held by Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
Warren was born in Oklahoma City on what she has called "the ragged edge of the middle class." Her father sold carpeting and worked as a maintenance man and her mother answered phones at Sears. Her first job was waiting tables in her aunt's Mexican restaurant when she was 13.
She became a teacher after earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1970. Six years later she earned a law degree from Rutgers University and began a career as a law professor, going on to become a pre-eminent expert in the fields of bankruptcy and commercial law.
She came to prominence nationally following the financial collapse of 2008, when she was tapped to serve as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which authorized the U.S. Treasury to spend $700 billion to stabilize the economy.
She pushed for the creation of a new federal agency to hold the nation's largest financial institutions accountable by protecting consumers from "tricks and traps" hidden in mortgages, credit cards and other products.
She then turned her sights on the U.S. Senate, announcing she would challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who won a special election in 2010 to fill the seat left vacant by Kennedy's death.
The massively expensive race, the most costly in state history, turned harsh at times, with Brown charging that Warren had used her claims of Native American heritage to help her academic career.
The two remained neck and neck in public opinion polls until Election Day, when voters handed Warren a 54 percent to 46 percent margin over Brown, making her the first woman in Massachusetts elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.


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W. Selkirk Owen Award
W. Selkirk Owen was born in Athens, Georgia in 1884 and received his elementary education from the Baltimore, Maryland public schools. He entered "Webb's Academy and Home for Shipbuilders" in 1900 and graduated in 1903. After spending a year at sea, he went to Scotland where he earned a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 1907.
Returning to America in 1908, Owen became active as a naval architect in several shipyards before being appointed Professor of Naval Architecture and Dean of Faculty at Webb in 1928, a position he retained for 22 years. In addition to teaching and administering the academic program, Professor Owen undertook private consulting work and served as expert witness in several admiralty court cases.
During his years at Webb, he enhanced the curriculum to that of an accredited engineering college, was part of the relocation efforts from the Bronx to Glen Cove, and laid plans for post-graduate education. His own high standards were reflected in the calibre of Webb graduates, who were often epitomized as "technicians of the highest order." For 22 years, he went beyond the realm of teaching by being a counselor and a friend to all students. He viewed a Webb graduate not only in terms of professional expertise but a gentleman and a leader as well. Due to his character, sense of honor and dedication to Webb and the Alumni Association, Webb Institute has gained much of its strength and professional image. It is only fitting that a tribute to his memory be created and that the William Selkirk Owen Award be the Alumni Association's highest honor presented to a graduate in recognition of outstanding achievement and service to the profession and his/her Alma Mater.
The following distinguished alumni have received this honor, which was established in 1964 and presented for the first time in 1966:
2014 Art Burr '54
2013 Dr. Alfred M. Zeien, Sc.D. (Hon)
2012 Jay Carson '73
2011 Keith Michel '73
2010 Peter Van Dyke `60
2009 Lincoln D. Cathers '56
2008 Henry S. Marcus '65
2007 Norman A. Hamlin '44B
2006 Eugene R. Miller, Jr. '64
2005 Peter A. Gale '59 & '04 (Hon.)
2004 Thomas N. Manuel '54
2003 John A. Malone '71
2002 Roger H. Compton '61, PG'64
2001 Duane H. Laible '62
2000 Richard W. Thorpe, Jr. '55
1999 Richard A. Goldbach '58
1998 Albert M. Martinson '53
1997 Donald L. Caldera '57
1996 Robert D. Goldbach '58
1995 William duBarry Thomas '51
1994 Joseph J. Cuneo '57
1993 John J. Nachtscheim '47
1992 Thomas H. Bond '45
1991 Ronald K. Kiss '63
1990 Lawrence R. Glosten '40
1989 Eugene Schorsch '52
1988 Lawrence W. Ward PG'51
1987 Charles G. Visconti '55
1986 Robert G. Mende '51
1985 Edward M. MacCutcheon '37
1984 Victor W. Bethge '53
1983 Richards T. Miller '40
1982 Cedric Ridgely-Nevitt '39
1981 Robert Taggart '42
1980 Edward Renshaw '44A
1979 A. Dudley Haff '37
1978 Frank J. Joyce '44A
1977 Paul E. Atkinson '42
1976 Clifford E. Hoitt '34
1975 Jens T. Holm '41
1974 William J. Dorman '35
1973 Owen H. Oakley '37
1972 James J. Henry '35
1971 Jeremy B. Blood '22
1970 John A. Livingston '24
1969 Thomas M. Curran '25
1968 Frank M. Lewis '17
1967 John A. Niedermair '18
1966 Martin G. Kindlund '01


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ITCS offers two options for online file storage.
Every student, faculty and staff has a personal 40GB Piratedrive folder to store important files such as class assignments, meeting minutes or research proposals. With password-protection, security, daily backup and availability on- or off-campus, some users opt to save all their work files to their Piratedrive folder rather than a work or personal computer.
Departments can request a Piratedrive folder (capacity 50GB) to store departmental information. For detailed information, visit the Piratedrive pages.
ECU Outside is a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server designed specifically for ECU faculty and staff to share information with non-ECU collaborators or others without a PirateID. Sensitive information (personnel, HIPAA, etc.) is strictly prohibited and cannot be stored on ECU Outside.
ECU Outside is not intended as a replacement for shared drives, such as Piratedrive or SharePoint. Visit the ECU Outside page for more information on requesting and accessing ECU Outside space.
All activities using any of these options must conform to the ECU Academic Computer Use Policy and the University Student and Employee Computer Use Policy.
Please Note: Users should not store ECU information with any non-ECU cloud storage service. Read these security considerations to learn why.