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<br />THE CO\"EXT <br /> <br />l~~S is ~o ordinary report. <br /> <br />I~ ~2S w~itLe~ a~ a~ extraorcinarv moment In the prog- <br /> <br />ress of h~~a~kinc. <br /> <br />It calls ~or an extraordirrary--if rela- <br /> <br />ti~el: ~odest--~ational cO~Ei!ment ~c an effort to iwprove <br /> <br />o~r abili~: t~ manage o~e sca~l but im?ortant aspect of the <br /> <br />tu~~~ 2~~~ranille~t--o~r ~ea:her resources. This madest pro- <br />~8sal~ h~~e~er! s~c~ld be ~ie~ed in its larger context. <br /> <br />C~~sider ~ne past. <br /> <br />Spaces~:p Eayth was launc~ed {in a manner we de not <br />full: ~ncerstafid; a~cu~ =ive cillion years ago. So~e forg <br /> <br />J= ~i=e ~as ign:tec ca~e :~an three billion years ago--and <br /> <br />,ertebra:es eval.ed a haIr-billion years ago. <br /> <br />J:nosat:rs <br /> <br />reig~ed ::cr a ~t:ndred ane. forty :=iillicn years--giving \'iay <br /> <br />to c&-:ti:als s:..x-:y Eillion yea~s ago. ~..~an a?peareci a shor~ <br /> <br />fi~e 3il:ion years ago--Eodern ~an some fifty thousand <br /> <br />yeG.rs. ag~. <br /> <br />~0~ c~n~ider ~~e =~!~~e. <br /> <br />.ne din0sa~Ts are ~O~ ge~erally gIven credit for <br /> <br />resi::'ier:ce. <br /> <br />g~t ~= ~h€ huma~ sJecies is at least as <br /> <br />resilien~ as t~ey ~eTe, ~e s~o~ld be thinking--and plan- <br /> <br />niTIg--=G~ ~n€ hex! hJ~dred mil:io~ vears. Over that <br /> <br />5DE-r: <br /> <br />,....1: 40...;;..-..... <br />v_ ~"":"'L:c;, <br /> <br />~!:.e :lex! <br /> <br />re\...o ceca::les <br /> <br />wi:: be <br /> <br />critical. <br /> <br />Fc:.:.~ de\'e~oDgei:ts ::a'.:e ::rought hu:nankind to a <br /> <br />crcssr:::~ds. <br /> <br />F~YSL, ~e re~laced ~l~an ~uscle po"€r with energy <br /> <br />5Lo~ed i~ fGss~~ fue~s--Gr iocked in t~e aLOID. <br /> <br />Secc~d, ~e ~ea~~ed ~~ 2ani~ulate matter LO serve <br /> <br />O~T need5--?erLUTb~~g ~~ a eajoy ~ay the ~aLural CYClIng <br />0= ~a:e~~a15 :t~oug~ t~e b:cs?tere tha~ supports life <br />a~d ~E-~i~g i~ ~ossi~le ~o i~~e~t ~eapo~s of ulti~ate <br /> <br />dest::-~C:::O::L <br /> <br />Th~rd, o~r ~~ders~and~~g ~- life processes ~as pro- <br /> <br />g~essec :c tte poi~~ ~~a: ~e ~a~ ~~~i?ulate t~ese proc- <br /> <br />e3ses--~~ ~ stil~ li~i~ed b~! ~rcfound ~ay. <br /> <br />FG~~:h~ a~d perhaps =GS~ pcrte~to~s, ne have :earned <br /> <br />ta~ :0 =a~~~~:ate i~fo~a~i8~: <br /> <br />:n the era or the co~puter <br /> <br />a~j C0~~~nl~a~l0~~ i~fc~at:cn itself ~ecomes a ?rine <br /> <br />re5:our:::e. <br /> <br />I <br />