Page 34 - Communications Satellites Global Change Agents

1. SATELLITES AS WORLDWIDE CHANGE AGENTS 11

FIG. 1.1. The building of human history (20 miles and 10,000 stories high).

broadband systems will link humanity together in almost unimaginable ways (see
Pelton, 1999). In another century, this "intellectual network" can be expected to
reach not only to the most remote reaches of our earth and ocean, but also out
across the broad reaches of our solar system. Some day we will turn on our TV
and check the weather for the day not only on our planet, but others as well. Since
the events of 9/11, however, we understand that quite different scenarios are pos-
sible. Technology does not always promise progress and better horizons.
Technological innovation and broader band instantaneous communications
can no longer be seen as "guaranteed progress" for the human species. There are
clearly problems ahead. Serious issues arise from the fact that some so-called de-
veloping economies and societies live virtually completely outside this rapidly ex-
panding "E-Sphere" of accelerating scientific knowledge and electronic data sys-