That is the title of the lecture series organized by theCarl von Linde-Akademie and the working group “Technology and Ethics” in cooperation with KHG and EHG at Munich Technical University and the Umwelt-Akademie e.V., München. It takes place on a regular basis at TUM.
Tonight, I attended the third of four presentations to be held in the winter semester of 2009/2010. Unfortunately, I had missed the first two occasions with Bishop Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Huber and Dr. Nikolaus von Bomhard. This time, I managed to go there. And with R. Martin Lees, who is secretary general of the Club of Rome, they certainly had invited a very special orator.
Well, to tell you in a nutshell: I have never heard a better and more precise overview about the current state of our planet. Martin Lees (born in 1941), managed to make it drastically clear in a very composed way that it is more like five past twelve than five before twelve.
In spite of his description of the state of affairs that seemed to be hopeless, he still was able to give us hope. There might still probably be a way to solve the problems somehow.
His presentation intensified my resolution not to give up, but instead to continue fighting. We must stop destroying this beautiful world we were born into in the thoughtless and irreversible way we seem to have been doing it for more than a century already.
Consequently, I will try to reduce my personal CO2 footprint in the future by changing my lifestyle step by step.
After this presentation, however, I also feel more than ever compelled to use what little influence I may have in public as well as possible. And I will try to support the current positive shift in value and culture also perceived by Martin Lees with all I have left to give.
Because Martin Lees said it quite well at TUM today:
We cannot yet say if this change in values and culture will be permanent or just a flash in the pan.
In my personal opinion, it must become permanent. So let us all start working towards that end.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
P.S.
Incidentally, the last presentation in this series is next Monday. Next week’s orator is Dr. Hans-Peter Sollinger. He will be talking about Sustainability – The Basis for the Business Success of a Family Enterprise with World-Wide Connections. Unfortunately, my calendar leaves no room for me to attend.
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