Martin Rees

Space won’t offer an escape from Earth’s problems

issue 17 December 2022

Because I have the title Astronomer Royal, I’m often asked: ‘Did you do horoscopes for the Queen?’ Sadly, the answer’s ‘no’. I’m just an astronomer, not an astrologer. Scientists are poor forecasters – almost as poor as economists. But I fear I’ve become typecast as a doomster because I predict a bumpy ride through the next few decades. 

We’re deep in the ‘anthropocene’. Humans are so numerous and so demanding of energy and resources that our collective footprint is changing the world’s climate, and despoiling the natural environment. Politicians like to focus on immediate threats, but they won’t prioritise measures needed to deal with long-term global issues – especially when it’s countries far away that are most threatened – unless there’s a clamour from voters. We need technical advances that enable the ‘global south’ to leapfrog directly from smoky stoves to clean energy, just as they leapfrogged to smartphones without ever having landlines.

And we face challenges from bio and cyber technologies which, despite offering huge benefits, have scary downsides.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in