Will Science Fiction Guide Our Future?
Science fiction has a long history of looking at environmental issues. Hayao Miyazaki’s popular “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” is a moving story about the conflict between Man and his environment, although it has political undertones as well. Frank Herbert’s Dune is another popular environmental story that discusses how mankind shapes worlds without realizing (on a cultural level) what is happening.
This week the popular SF Fandom Wordpress blog takes a look at the need for a green police force in today’s society and the near future. What should such a police force look like and why would there be a need for it? The militant-like behavior some environmental activists have displayed in recent decades echoes with whispers of a new global war between society and one of its fringe conscience movements.
The theme can be portrayed darkly or lightly, as another blog post examines the variety of messages environmental police pictures present in numerous contexts. People practice good environmentalism in many ways without threatening society. But the future continues to look bleak to many people. Global warming is a real threat and the imminent perils facing millions of coastal-dwelling people have yet to be dealt with.
Science fiction helps us take a thoughtful look at where we can go next and what we might do today to make tomorrow a brighter time for our descendants. By exploring the themes in today’s news headlines science fiction writers and fans help lay the groundwork for the next generation of technological innovation. We may indeed find ourselves living the promised “Cities of Tomorrow” simply because science fiction offers a better solution to our urban problems than current policy.
