“There is no doubt about the importance of existing foundations for sustainability, from protecting the environment to combating climate change and living a green lifestyle. In the near future, upholding all these principles will be the foundation if humanity is to thrive.
To continue to develop, man must come out of the cradle, and so must humanity. To achieve a truly sustainable future, we must go beyond the Earth, our cradle. On the other hand, what Arthur C. Clarke wrote in 2001: Space Adventures may come true: ‘In the midst of affluence, they are slowly starving to death’.
Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin talks from afar with UN headquarters to kick off Chinese Language Day celebrations.
The modernization of all societies will require more resources than our planet can provide, and this makes development a threat. But we can find just about anything we need to survive and thrive on the eight planets and asteroid belts of the Solar System, including water, metals, organic matter and fuel for reactions. nuclear fusion; If Earth could feed a total of 100 billion people, the resources in the Solar System could support a population of 100,000 Earths.
However, whether clinging to the Earth or rushing into space, sustainable development needs the constant progress of science and technology, but the signs are not very positive.
Science fiction authors think that 2023 will see magnificent space cities moving in geosynchronous orbit, with the Moon lying on the outskirts of Earth; cities on Mars, with millions of people living there; major mining operations in the asteroid belt and even over the ice-covered waters of Jupiter and beyond the orbit of Neptune; and humans explore new worlds.
Information technology has ‘leaved leaps’ over the past 30 years.
The only area where the reality of 2023 matches the imagination of science fiction is the development of information technology. Over the past 30 years, information technology has grown by leaps and bounds much faster than other technologies and has penetrated every aspect of human society to revolutionize human life.
However, this masks the slow progress of other areas of science and technology, creating the illusion of rapid technological progress in its entirety. If we consider the technological progress brought about by scientific development as a big tree, today the most accessible fruits on the tree have been plucked.
To move to a truly sustainable future, we need a greater pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. The international community needs a longer-term development plan, as well as adequate attention and investment in basic research and technological innovation. Many of the commitments in this area can only be realized with large-scale international cooperation and the United Nations can certainly play an important role in that.
However, the international community remains divided and confrontational, even as all of humanity is facing common challenges. A common disaster occurring locally and elsewhere in the world can help; but an apocalyptic crisis puts the whole world on the brink of destruction, and no one will come to our rescue.
But once the entire global society faces the apocalyptic crisis in science fiction, I think humanity will still deal with the crisis together.) In general, we have the ability to self-regulate, in the way that we interact with nature.”
Liu Cixin spoke at the United Nations as part of the Chinese Language Day April 20th celebration. You can watch the whole event This
