The lessons of the past are forgotten in the hustle bustle of the present. Nonetheless, we remember when we feel the pain as a result of repeating the same mistakes. As human beings, our survival depends on our adaptability; to change our mind-set when the old framework no longer works. We always have to learn that the complexity of our environment requires also a complexity of calibrated responses.
We cannot exactly be very proud of our survival because we are just, several thousand years old in this planet; whereas the dinosaurs survived millions of years yet they became extinct finally. Will our intelligence make a difference? Will be able to survive cataclysms and the often unpredictable rampages of Nature?
Remember Japan. The Japanese are very intelligent and very durable people of great industry and inventiveness. But they never imagined the nuclear disaster that came their way would be at such magnitude and fury. It almost unraveled the fabric of their society. It brought extreme suffering and unimaginable dislocation of thousands of families.
There are lessons to be learned here not only for Japan but also for all nations. Will the world still care for nuclear energy for instance? The collective experience perhaps will tell us that, put on the balance, nuclear energy is not worth utilizing for our continued progress. There must be safer, less harmful, energy sources.
The lesson was immediately learned by Germany. It has resolutely decided to become non-nuclear by the year 2022. Other nations are racheting up their research and utilization of alternative, renewable energies which are decidedly safer to use and, if there are wastes, these wastes would also be safer to dispose.
