Why isn’t it Heaven on Earth

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a man called Azzam Alwash talking. He is a civil engineer, specialising in water and seeking to restore the marshlands of Iraq to their former glory.

The marshlands were said to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden and were supported by four rivers. I say were because in the 1990s Saddam Hussein redirected the four rivers and drained the marshes to punish the Marsh Arabs who had risen up against him. As a result the Marsh Arab’s oasis shrank to less than 10% of its original size. This destroyed the livelihoods of the people and devastated the local wildlife. Azzam grew up in the area and the way he described it made it sound beautiful. He founded ‘Nature Iraq’ in 2010 to protect and improve the country’s natural heritage and has the knowledge and most importantly the will to make this happen. My heart was lifted and then aching listening to him talk of this paradise lost.

I then began thinking about another article I recently read that suggested we have the potential technologies right now that could create a Heaven on Earth.

After watching Hans Rosling’s fabulous BBC 4 presentation it is clear that we are evolving and progressing in terms of our social and technological skills as conditions have obviously improved for most of mankind over the last 200 years. Though this has come at a considerable cost to the environment.

However we could change this situation. Not easily, but, over time certainly because the money, resources and technology exist today to clean up the planet and take care of everyone.

For example: we currently produce 300 kg of grain per head worldwide. 200 kg of grain contains enough calories to support an average sized adult for a year. Yet millions of people starve not because there isn’t enough food but because they can’t afford to buy it. It is well known that when too much food is produced it is stored or destroyed to restrict the food supply and keep prices high enough for producers to maximise their profits.

Environmental problems such as soil erosion and desertification threaten food production yet there exists a technology called hydroponic farming - growing plants without soil. Apparently the technique delivers extraordinary results when compared to traditional farming. Desalination technology could solve the world drought issues and clean energy is a real and present possibility for the future. We are seeing more and more breakthroughs in genetic research into illnesses and have the potential to understand more about human being and it’s place in the cosmos than ever before. As more and more cultures begin to communicate we'll discover the core underlying themes that could unite all people of the world.

The potential exits to integrate scientific, philosophical and religious ideas into a new way of thinking about humanity that transcends and yet includes all cultures, values and beliefs. The power of the internet makes building a global community acting in service of a shared commitment to create a better world for all within reach.

In theory the earth could be a veritable paradise.

Only one thing standing in our way.....WE the people.

Just a thought!