Shortages in Energy, Water, and Food Likely To Cause Hostility

Santa Barbara is lucky enough to have one of the 13 Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums.  Yesterday I checked out several dozen original documents that happened to interest me, including the first page of one of the world’s most beloved pieces of piano music: the A-flat (“Heroic”) polonaise of Chopin, as well as several writings of the world’s great scientists. 

Perhaps the single coolest piece in the whole place is the first known peace treaty, one that ended battles over territory in ancient Mesopotamia about 5500 years ago.  Of course, I had the same thought that would occur to anyone:  how ceaseless has been humankind’s warring over land and other resources – how, five and one-half millennia later, our leaders are still, somehow, able to muster popular support for sending huge legions of young men to die in battle against one another.

I’d love to be able to predict a date at which this will come to an end, but that’s a tough one, especially given the coming crunch in terms of energy, water and food.