An open letter to one of the most outspoken researchers on Global Geological Events

Dear Mr. McGuire
I have had the pleasure of reading several of your articles relating to global geophysical events (GG) on the Internet. After reading your work and referring to the work or several other scientists I have come to a few conclusions and was hoping to get your thoughts on them when your time allows.

Based on everything that I have read it seems that, baring some human generated error in energy creation or during a large scale war, the most likely cause of the end of our species (at least as we know it) is a GG. The problem is we seem to be standing in a room full of ticking bombs with hidden timers. We know we are in trouble but there is no real way to prepare ourselves for an event of such magnitude. Unfortunately the room full of bombs metaphor seems all the more frightening when on considers the possibility of any bomb setting any number of the others off at the same time. It would seem that no amount of warning could possible allow us to respond or in any way usefully prepare for such a series of events. The saddest limitation of any possible preparations would be the human tendency towards panic in catastrophic situations. As a race we also seem to lack the ability to “keep our eye on the ball” as it were for non-immediate threats. It seems we are not very well evolved to deal with such scale of danger. I believe this has all been covered by better minds than mine but I wanted to convey my awareness of the situation.

The solution to these dangers may end up being the ability to “leave the room” as it were. It strikes me that it would be the best possible option for preparation. It does not require an immediate threat to instigate. It addresses all the possibilities of a GG. The public at large does not need to even consider it an escape mechanism. One might think it seems farfetched to seriously propose work on our ability to move a large portion of humanity off planet temporarily and perhaps indefinitely but it has positive ramifications beyond the survival of a global catastrophe that should be considered. An advanced space program produces obvious long-term benefits to the world economy and science at large. It creates a high demand for the best and brightest and stimulates the imagination of the next generation better than any video game possibly could. I clearly remember spending awestruck hours watching coverage of the first shuttle flights. I checked the NASA website every day for weeks on the progress of the Martian landers. I was thrilled to see that a group had won the X-Prize and that a second one had been offered for the next step.

I don’t know if scientists of your level have opportunities to advise the leaders of countries directly or if they end up teaching the future leaders of countries. But either way it seems the that long term survival of the species depends on it’s ability to “dodge the bullet” of a G-G from which ever direction it may come.

Thank you for your time in reading this. I’m curious if you think that this suggestion has merit and if there are any factors that I have neglected in your view. I fully believe that such a plan would require significant resources for 50 or more years to reach any sort of serious ability to make an positive impact in a dire situation. I believe that if the scientists can form a unified front on this sort of recommendation, it will be taken seriously by congress and addressed in a manner that will give us a chance at long-term survival.