Dear Friends of the Sea,

I wish to thank the management of DEMA for honoring me with the Reaching Out Award.

I wish to further thank very specially the Historical Diving Society, USA and their HISTORICAL DIVER magazine, for recording our contributions to modern diving, to underwater photography, and to underwater research in the pioneering days between 1937 and 1960: In my name, and in the name of my wife Lotte, I thank you for going back in so much detail to a past which today is almost forgotten.

I further thank our old friend Dr. Sylvia Earle for her very kind introduction.

After you have all shown so much interest in my work during the first period of my life, it seems reasonable to give you an explanation for what caused me to sell my beautiful ship "Xarifa" in 1960, and give up my efforts as a marine biologist, leaving the fascinating underwater world of the oceans for good.

I had become more and more interested in the evolution of life, especially in respect to the position of humans in this tremendous development, and in this unique energetic phenomena. I asked myself whether we assess ourselves correctly, and whether or not the whole of the evolution, _(including the evolution of the human technique, economy, politics, arts, etc.) is not guided by the same laws, which perhaps can even be measured. I published the results of my research in six volumes which deal with a new theory, in which it is not MATTER which plays the major role, but ENERGY. I called it the Energon Theory. In English it might be called Energonics. This new vision differs in so many ways from the scientific opinions of today, that my publications were hardly read or discussed. They have not yet reached the United States, as they have yet to be translated into English.

On January 9th, my esteemed colleague from my diving period, Commander Jacques Cousteau, spoke at a dinner party hosted by Ocean Futures, to which we were invited. He spoke on his views about the conservation of the sea, and I agree with-.him completely, from a scientific viewpoint. I would however like to add a few remarks.

Human evolution has reached a very critical point. The last fifty years have yielded so much progress, that further progress turns into danger. The human population on our planet increases by not less than 90 million individuals per year. That means, apart from other consequences, about 50 million jobs become necessary every year. In my opinion, based on my Energon Theory, this means disaster if it is not stopped.

In my careful opinion, justified by the facts revealed by my 36 years of research, this birth explosion must be globally brought to zero within the next six years. Economic growth must come to zero within the next ten years, otherwise mankind will destroy itself within the next 25 years. I am not the only one to make this unpleasant prediction, but the Energon Theory will enhance human understanding of the trends and laws of evolution. It would be a pity indeed if the great cultural achievements of man would end so dramatically and abruptly. -

However, there is the chance that the initial disaster will not be total, and that not all humans and living nature will be killed. It is possible that an element will survive and be able to carry on. For those surviving humans, the shock may be so strong that they are willing to accept the dramatic changes necessary in human behavior to come to an equilibrium with the rest of nature on this planet. Much of what we today call progress and achievement has to be stopped, and replaced by a different form of progress and achievement acceptable to the nature of the planet.

It seems almost impossible to me that the human community can change its behavior and traditions so drastically in so short a time. However, there is this one more chance! If the human population of our planet does not exceed 5 billion, and our technology and economy is directed to qualitative instead of quantitative growth, that progress can continue for millions of years!

Reaching Out is now getting more important than ever. Each one of you, each individual on our planet, can now personally contribute in establishing the framework of evolution which will from now on have to guide our behavior and our actions.

Thank you again for honoring me with the Reaching Out Award.

Prof. Hans Hass
 

HISTORICAL DIVER   No. 10 Winter 1997
 

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