China, Gore, and DE Confluences

Last month the very top Chinese scientists, Xu Guanhua (Ministry of Science and Technology) and Lu Yongxiang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) helped celebrate, with a small group of internationals, the launch of the International Society for Digital Earth. Last Wednesday I previewed the Gore movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Next week Where2.0 will host their second workshop on cutting edge spatial IT. Synthesis of these events can be found within the Digital Earth Vision and its movement next seen in Auckland in August and then San Francisco June 2007. Let us consider the null hypothesis that "no other vision or program captures the synergy and integration of myriad technologies and global challenges as well as Digital Earth." Since no one owns Digital Earth, what is the best path to tap into its capacity for coalescing and collating the forces of the future to perhaps help our species survive? Can Digital Earth ever be accepted as a guiding framework for a survival blueprint? Does the "glass-house" principle of "all people watching all things at all times provides the best democratic solutions," really provide the best antidote for the negative societal trends and consequences on Earth? How best should we use our time and energies next year to nurture Digital Earth? If we are not on the best path, we won't last. Until later, Cheers.