BrynVilla

Well, so much for the promise to be uncontroversial…

Evolution has got us where we are. Since life began the ability of an organism to thrive in the prevailing conditions has determined which genes pass to the next generation. It’s the mother of all coping mechanisms, but by definition it’s reactive.

There’s no reason to suppose evolution won’t continue to work even if extreme climate change occurs, life will continue, life forms will evolve. Species that are well adapted to the changed conditions will thrive. Others, including humanity will suffer habitat limitation and declining population at best, extinction at worst.

In our rational minds we know this. We know that the best chance for humanity is to co-operate, to reduce our population by humane birth control before drowning, thirst and starvation do it. To reduce our energy consumption. To organise a safe transfer of populations from inhospitable regions. To protect the environment to maintain as much of the world as we can in a state that can support us and the food species on which we depend.

We know this, but our selfish gene doesn’t, it seeks short term advantage. We favour our children over our neighbour’s, our neighbour’s over a stranger’s and a stranger’s children that look like us, talk like us or pray (or don’t pray) like us over those who are different. It’s perfectly logical, those children are more likely to have a similar genetic make to us. We have created nation states, political and religious systems to regularise this behaviour. But it’s a pattern of behaviour which is unsustainable.

At this stage in a piece like this you’ll be expecting me to pull an answer out of a hat. Sorry, but I don’t think there is one, we have developed technically way in advance of our evolutionary progress.

The majority of the world’s population believes that some form of god is in charge and if there is a problem we should leave it to him/her/them, though a few more prayers, some irrational prohibitions and a little persecution of unbelievers would help.

In highly developed and largely secular societies we smile at such beliefs, erect a few wind turbines and subsidise oil companies to put 2% biofuel in their products and hope we’ll be OK. Meanwhile our politicians work hard at boosting our short-term standard of living and gaining national advantage in trade or diplomacy or war because that’s the way to win our approval and our votes.

Do we just give up then? I hope not, if the apocalypse is unavoidable then it’s our responsibility to pass on as much wisdom as we can to those who survive. I don’t think a post apocalyptic world will be in much need of ignorance, superstition and despotism history suggests there’s always more than enough but science, rationalism, democracy and art are worth struggling to keep.

Our genes have condemned our descendants to premature death or to watching the premature death of millions of others; our education might help the survivors create a future less reliant on such harsh Darwinism.

Or rather, Hello again world.

I was an early adopter of blogger, and an early dropout too. I think I blogged twice, got one reply and lost the password when I rebuilt my PC. Maybe this time I’ll really use it, but I’m sceptical about writing for free. I already do some very badly paid work which I justify to myself on the grounds that it’s supporting something I believe needs support (Linux and free software since you ask) and I enjoy it. The rest of the time I try to concentrate on earning money.

If I am going to be a regular blogger, I need to work out what I’m going to allow myself to say.

My regular work is usually technical, I write about computers and the IT industry, about the oil and bio-fuels industry, about schools (I used to be a teacher) about DIY (this blog is called BrynVilla because that’s the name of our house and when I’m not writing I’m DIYing) and I write vaguely technical features for the Western Mail. So I probably come across as a slightly didactic nerd with his own cement mixer. Fair enough, any editors out there reading this know what they are getting if they contact me. But that’s not all I am.

I have a personality and opinions; on politics, art, religion, culture, economics, environment,…*. Most people do, but does a potential customer really want to hear them? If you’re looking for a sober reflection on the UK’s preparations for analogue TV switch-off, or an in-depth explanation of wireless communications in the oil and gas industry you might well decide not to commission someone who uses his blog to attack your politics, your religion or your stance on climate change.

I think I’ll keep this blog strictly professional and save the opinionated stuff for the pub. No editors in my local.

* I didn’t forget sport. I don’t have any opinions on sport, except to say that I view with deep suspicion anyone who does. (Hope that’s not upset too many of you.)