Are we really intelligent life?

[FlyMeHigh]

I have this book by Carl Segan (spelling) called "The Pale Blue Dot." Alot of it deals with exploring the planets and space, but theres also a fair amount of philosphical exploration.

One part brings up the question of, are humans really intellegent life? It gave a view of humans from an outsiders prospective and clearly declared that we are killing ourselves. Looking at our world, our lives are complex as hell, but are they happy, are they worthwhile? (etc.) Looking at what we've done to the environment, it is clear that the earth and all who inhabit it are heading towards destruction. This really doesn't seem like an intellegent thing at all. what about all this fake technology shit is intellegent!??

thoughts...?

[naturalmystic]

We really don't have any other races to compare too. So, yes, humans are intelligent, comparing them to nothing else.

[Nullific]

Maybe our intelligence is surpassed by our greed. As an example fossil fuels could easily be replaced with more efficient and environmentally safe fuels such as hemp seed oil. Hemp paper is longer lasting than paper made from wood-pulp, doesn't require as many environmentally devastating chemicals and an acre of hemp produces as much paper as four acres of lumber. Hemp cloth is more durable than cotton, hemp doesn't dry the soil out like cotton either.
All comes down to greed, apathy as well.