The Big Take-Aways:
Are you optimistic?
Torrey
I am. People are angry about the top level of leadership in this country, and I’m uneasy with the point of view that a change in administration will save the world, because there are entrenched bureaucracies that remain. (I’d rather vote for a cabinet than a candidate.) But I see many—many smart, talented people—who are determined to help government move forward, who are committed to making things better.
Tod
Researching climate change, and looking at current policies and programs, it’s hard to be optimistic. But seeing the amazing technologies that are nearly ready, so much interest and investment in them, and the room to make improvements, I think we will be surprised at how fast things become mobilized. The political will isn’t there yet, but the political will is nearly there. And in the meantime, we’re seeing that all the predictions about climate change are being exceeded: The North Polar ice cap was first predicted to be ice free in 2050, then in 2030, and now in 2013. Scientists were conservative.
Cyrus
I think solutions are frustratingly and maddeningly within our reach. Just
look at the cost of this war. Check out costofwar.com, a page on the National Priorities Project Web site. It breaks down the cost of the Iraq war by state, county, city and shows the tradeoffs in dollars needed for elementary-school teachers, port-container inspectors, affordable housing units, health care for children—you name it. We couldn’t have a less intelligent foreign policy. Solutions are near at hand, but the broken nature of democracy prevents our getting to them. We should get rid of all special interests; get rid of any political funding from individuals, groups or corporations. Get rid of the political and ideological hang-ups that stand in the way of solutions. We’ve had access to a great education; solutions are not inaccessible. We just don’t have the will; it’s not a priority.
Sarah
Philanthropy, the public’s desire to fix things, is growing; there’s a new level of social consciousness, and the nonprofit sector is a hot sector now. In that sense, Bush might have been the best thing that happened to health care and the environment. People now see these things as make-or-break issues.
Liz
I have moments of hopelessness. I can be pessimistic. The problem is enormous, and I don’t think we’re at the shift, the turning point. Rather, we’re in the slow grind period. There was a sense in the ’70s of being at the beginning of an environmental movement, getting some momentum. I don’t think we’re experiencing that right now. Technologically we’re at a peak in terms of what we know, but we’re not using it.
Neo
I’m very optimistic, and increasingly so. Even in 2001 I was optimistic because I had been to the lab and knew what was in the offing vis-à-vis science and HIV. But now I’ve seen so much change: good science, more government commitment, more resources in general, and a significant shift in public mentality.
Ian
I am decidedly optimistic when I think about my generation. I’m deeply inspired by my friends and the work that they’re doing, and that gives me great hope for the type of world we’re working to create. It does take work to stay optimistic—there are plenty of things out there to get upset about when you open the newspaper. I don’t think the answer is to not open the newspaper; I think it’s to seek a greater understanding of why things have ended up the way they have.
Tze
On a personal level I’m optimistic, but I prepare for the worst. On a larger level, I sometimes think we’re at a breaking point for our world and for our country, but then I compare where we are now to what the world was like in the 1960s. There have been breaking points in the past—turmoil, angst, conflict—and we’ve survived it, so I think as long as we keep our heads on our shoulders, we’ll be fine.
Lydon
As a teacher, I do worry about the Internet, iPods, cell phones and text messaging: the notion of instant gratification, the sense that I want it, need it, right now. Life sped up that much is untenable. I worry about pressures on children, too. There’s kind of a private-schools arms race around homework. That seems more driven by the need to have academic “street cred” than by the right principles. Students are supposed to be learning critical thinking skills, not triage. We give them reason to learn not to sleep, to depend on caffeine and sugar.
Michael
Am I optimistic about the world’s future? That’s really a scientific question. How much pollution can our planet absorb? How resilient is it? How clever are humans going to be in dealing with an increasingly toxic environment? Is a terrorist going to drive a boat into New York harbor and blow up the city? I hope not. When I start to think that the world can’t possibly survive another day, I look back. In the ’50s, America was terrified that the Russians were going to drop bombs on us, and I can’t even imagine the mindset of the people who lived through World Wars I and II. But we’re still here, and sometimes the biggest problems have led to positive change.
Alex
I have to be optimistic for our generation; I have to think positively. Just looking at my group of friends from Milton, I have an overwhelming sense that everyone is doing something they really love, something they have a talent and a passion for. They’re focused on issues or pursuits that have meaning for them, and the astounding thing is the wide range of pursuits. When I see where people my age are focusing their energy, I can’t help but be optimistic.
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