What Will Be Required of You, 0 Graduate? A Way of Knowing

摘要

In this article, author Wes Jackson reminds us that the professions have a special responsibility to their knowledge heritage-what he calls “a way of knowing” about our current society, its recent changes and those that will come in our lifetimes. He points out that talk radio and the even more bizarre guerilla war of manipulated-issue television are not the place to get at the imperative facts about our way of life. The centerpiece of Jackson's concern is world climate change. He calls on professionals to use their scientifically based “way of knowing” to decide and help carry out the action that must be taken if climate change is going to be reversed. The problem, quite simply, is to find a way to power the Planet Earth on one-fifth of the carbon-based fuels that we use today to sustain our lifestyles and our commerce. Jackson points out that this challenge is a huge one, and that to be effective in this cause, lots of “neutral” professionals are going to have to become proactive in helping find and implement climate solutions.