We’ve been using BC/AD for most of recorded history, but humanity is at such a unique position right now that we should declare it as its own unique ERA.

For most of human history on this planet, we’ve rocked along at less than a billion people. For millions of years, folks lived to about 35 years on average, with a third of all infants dying before their 18th birthday. 90% of the world’s population lived in poverty. TODAY, however, we’ve exploded to almost 8 billion people and not only do the majority have enough money to live a healthier life, the average life expectancy is almost 80 years, and only 4% of infants die before they turn 18. 

WOAH. How’d we do that? 

There have been lots of innovations during that time period, but the Scientific Method can be thought of as one of the keys that unlocked so much potential. Most of that progress happened in just the last century or so, and we’ve already discovered that our population growth has slowed to the point that we’ll top out around 11 billion people around 2080. Population growth doesn’t continue indefinitely. So we’re essentially looking at sustaining 11 billion people globally from here on out.

But wait, a new ERA? Does that mean we have to change how we number the years?

No! That’s what is cool about a Humane Era - all we have to do is add one digit to the beginning of our Gregorian/AD year format to turn the year AD 2021 into HE 12,021. A concept first introduced by Cesare Emiliani in 1993 -- it’s known as the Holocene or Human Era and anchors our starting point back when human brains had evolved to what they are today. (This video does a great job of explaining where that starting point comes from.)

So what makes that humane?

We unknowingly have been doing this for a few decades, but when we use the Scientific Method on medical processes, we remove all the stuff that doesn’t serve human health and wellbeing. We study how humans respond to different treatments, and then subtract any of the concepts and practices that harm humans, while educating others and mainstreaming the things that help. Let’s take this same approach with human-made systems and concepts -- not just medical research. A Humane Era looks to our hunter-gatherer roots in order to optimize our human-made systems for human health and wellbeing. A Humane Era asks: What’s the most Humane way to tackle any problem? What’s the most humane way to spend our time? (it’s not working 40 hour weeks in an office) What’s the most humane way to distribute our resources to all living humans? (it’s not capitalism) What’s the most humane way to vote/govern/grow food/mitigate climate change/etc? 

Naming, claiming, establishing, and celebrating a Humane Era could dramatically accelerate what we’ve started, in order to best care for ourselves, our planet, and our existence as we know it. It will be a challenge to redirect a global population from a scarcity to an abundance mindset, but it’s something that we were evolved to do. The planet absolutely has enough resources to sustain 11 billion people -- just not with the lifestyles and systems in place that still remain harmful to humans. Indigenous groups know what a lifestyle with an abundance mindset is all about and we can learn from their practices and knowledge. 

A Humane Era places caring for each other as our primary objective as humans.

If we put our health and wellbeing first, then more humans can live to their full potential and spend time in fulfilling ways, sparking collaboration and innovation in service to one another. Beyond caring for one another, our culture would also benefit greatly from spending time doing things that are essential to human nature such as music, dance, writing, storytelling, and creating in general while in fellowship with others. This can help define who it is we want to be as humans -- the existential question of our current and future generations of humans. If we can agree on that definition, then we can be more resilient as we face all sorts of challenges such as AI, climate change, global pandemics, and so much more.