If there are so many inhabitable planets in the universe, why haven't we made contact with other civilizations? One terrifying answer is that very few civilizations are able to create world-altering technology without also killing themselves off in the process. This monologue episode introduces the concept of Great Filter Events through the work of Dr. David Grinspoon's outstanding book, Earth in Human Hands: Shaping Our Planet's Future . Go read it, and listen to the shows I've done with David Grinspoon in the past! Links below. “The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” ― E. O. Wilson This Episode's Sponsors Philip Lee LLP: legal resources for carbon removal buyers and suppliers Arbonics: forestry project developer in the EU Listen to the RCC episode with Lisett Luik from Arbonics Become a sponsor by emailing carbon.removal.strategies[at]gmail.com Use this affiliate link to use Descript's transcripting and podcast editing service Use this affiliate link to use Riverside to record your podcasts Sign up for the 9Zero climate coworking space with my referral code Resources Become a paid subscriber of Reversing Climate Change Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack Earth in Human Hands: Shaping Our Planet's Future by Dr. David Grinspoon 47: David Grinspoon, Astrobiologist Geology Cage Match: The Sapiezoic vs. the Anthropocene S2E15: Are you a wizard or a phophet?—w/ Charles C. Mann Gaia hypothesis Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World by Charles C. Mann Objectivism and Ayn Rand Geologic time scale Great Filter Fermi paradox Drake equation Schadenfreude Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen Fallout (franchise) Abiogenesis Great Oxidation Event