Can we survive technology? (1955) [pdf]
&quot;Can we produce the required adjustments with the necessary speed? The most hopeful answer is that the human species has been subjected to similar tests before and seems to have a congenital ability to come through, after varying amounts of trouble. To ask in advance for a complete recipe would be unreasonable. We can  specify only the human qualities required: patience, flexibility, intelligence.&quot;<p>If you want to read a better exploration of the larger issues and possible answers to this question I recommend:
<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;gator.uhd.edu&#x2F;~williams&#x2F;downloads&#x2F;skinner82.pdf" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;gator.uhd.edu&#x2F;~williams&#x2F;downloads&#x2F;skinner82.pdf</a><p>&quot;Most thoughtful people agree that the world is in serious trouble. A nuclear war could mean a nuclear winter that would destroy all living things; fossil fuels will not last forever, and many other critical resources are nearing exhaustion; the earth grows steadily less habitable; and all this is exacerbated by a burgeoning population that resists control. The timetable may not be clear, but the threat is real. That many people have begun to find a recital of these dangers tiresome is perhaps an even greater threat.<p>Why is more not being done? Within a single generation, we have made extraordinary progress in the exploration of space, genetic engineering, electronic technology, and many other fields, but little has been done to solve what are certainly more serious problems. We know what could be done: We could destroy all nuclear weapons, limit family size, and adopt a much less polluting and less wasteful style of life. The mere listing of these steps is enough to show how far we are from taking them.&quot;