It is time for humanity to stop being passive observers of their own evolution and start being active participants; Not in the sense of genetic alteration or physical surgery, but in the more practical sense of understanding how our actions affect future generations.
Too often, we hear references to how our grandchildren will have to live with our decisions about natural resources, but somewhere in the rhetoric, we've lost track of the fact that their are other decisions beyond how we drill for petroleum or use CFC's that have the potential to have a huge impact on our children's and grandchildren's lives.
Yes, our economic and industrial policies are going to make a difference in how future generations live, but so are our social, political, educational and entertainment decisions. What you buy, where you buy it and how you saw it advertised have an impact on the techniques that marketing companies use, what shows executives decide to produce, and what companies thrive in a competitive business environment.
It is a wrong minded approach to life to think that our every day decisions have a narrow range of impact. Its easy to remain oblivious to the truth behind the gallon of milk you bought that was produced by a farmer who buys dietary supplements for his cows from a company with a record for illegal disposal of toxic waste... or that the hedge fund your retirement is invested in holds stock in a corporation that exploits illegal immigrant workers.
We want to believe that everyone we do business with shares our values. To a certain point, it's true. Commercial interests value our money. Political organizations value our opinion. Entertainment companies value our free time. Unfortunately, most of the time that interest fades as soon as they have what they want.
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Thanks for taking the time to respond. I like people who disagree as much as people who agree. Please respect others in your post.