The Guardian’s Book Blog recently wrote about a man who posted on one of these gaming forums about how he had been playing the computer game Civilization II for the past 10 years.
The game's objective is to "Build an empire to stand the test of time". It plays for single players only who create their own civilization in a virtual world. You start the game in 4000BC with a small settlement and then expand and develop your little settlement into an empire through the ages from the ancient era until modern and future times, building things up, searching and competing for resources with other civilizations.
In June 2012, the man posted details of his decade long game. He found after years of game play, a world in a perpetual state of conflict, where three major civilizations have been in a constant war. The lives of the inhabitants of these civilizations are not really that much better than when the game started at 4000 BC, living in constant fear of violence and reprisal in a totalitarian dystopia much like George Orwell’s 1984.
The man says that he is trying to find a way to end the war and to “rebuild” the world. The writer in the Guardian blog wonders whether this is how the game creators programmed the game to end, or whether this is how it will always inevitably end, when the “game” is all about competition for scarcer and scarcer resources.
Which brings us nicely to the World Oceans Day observed last week, and the announcement that Brunei is set to join the Coral Triangle Initiative, a grouping of governments who have committed to ensure that the coral reefs within their maritime boundaries are preserved and looked after.
At first sight the preservation of coral reefs may not look like much of an effort, but to really consider what it means, one will realize that looking after the reefs requires a great deal of commitment and effort, especially considering Brunei’s own efforts to industrialize and develop. The foresight of the Government in signing up to this is thus admirable.
Brunei has signed on to the Heart of Borneo Project to preserve our rain forests, and this has so far succeeded spectacularly. Look at Google earth and you will see the deep emerald green of our forests, in stark contrast to the state of the jungles across the border. But the preservation of the rainforest is relatively easy - you simply don’t touch them.
Looking after the oceans and coral reefs however, is a different kettle of fish. To start yes, it is a question of hands off - one has to insure that unsustainable practices such as the use of poison and explosives in fishing are eradicated. Then there is a need to change other fishing practices, for example to avoid overfishing and to ensure that only fully grown fish, who have had an opportunity to breed, are harvested, to rely and develop on aquaculture.
But it’s in looking at the larger picture that one understands the deep changes that will have to be made in the way that we live and approach development in order to truly protect the marine environment.
Coral reefs and ocean eco-systems are very complex and very sensitive to pollution from human settlements. In order to allow reefs and ocean life to flourish, coastal populations will have to think carefully about what goes into their drains, sewers, streams and rivers. The waste that goes into the environment on land will sooner or later find its way into the sea. We cannot continue to simply think that activities on land have no bearing on what happens to the oceans. As such, development has to go hand in hand with environmental awareness.
Then there is global warming. The first casualty of warming oceans are the reefs, even small changes in ocean temperature substantially effects the reefs. In order to really think about looking after the oceans, we need to consider our carbon footprint, to truly encourage the use of renewable energy and to discourage waste and inefficiency.
In a sense, the sustainability movement follows a great deal of what our Government has been stressing of late - an individual must always consider ones’ actions, and at all times be guided by a sense of equity fairness and compassion (for others and for the environment). Avoid waste and over-consumption. Seek to live healthily.
At the end of the day, maybe if such simple messages can be communicated, there is hope for the environment and humanity yet.
@emmagoodegg
Illustration by Cuboi Art.
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