Clicking on PBS television last week I discovered physicist Stephen Hawking’s new show called Genius. Hawking shares what scientists have learned as he challenges the audience to “be the geniuses” of the future.     

In the episode titled “Are we alone?,” Hawking guides three regular citizens through what space exploration has documented about our galaxy and beyond. After explaining how scientists know there are many billions of stars, and many billions of planets, Hawking reviews the prospects for intelligent life on other planets.  

Planets spaced from their suns similar to ours, in the so called “Goldilocks zones” who share the universe's abundance of hydrogen and oxygen (which make water possible) are the most likely candidates for advanced, technological, intelligent life. The simple odds are, and Hawking believes, that there is considerable life out there. We are likely not alone. So why haven't we found each other? 

Hawking speculates that we have not found each other, and may not for a while, due to risk from natural and self-made dangers. Hawking believes that life-sustaining planets like ours are vulnerable and may perish before we evolve to connect. Meteor strikes, disease, war and other self-destructive modalities are big threats that are likely to limit our intergalactic potential. Bad luck, or a few too many mistakes, and boom - intelligent life becomes extinct.   

As an optimistic City Manager, I have wondered what will be the psychological and behavioral impacts when we earthlings do discover life from other planets.   

Will the people and nations on Earth suddenly begin to unite to defend the globe?

How will they look? How will we communicate? Who will speak for Earth? 

If both communicating planets get this far can we assume, or at least hope, that we have both advanced to a fundamental peace and sustainability philosophy of life versus dominance and exploitation impulses inherited from earlier times?   

It will surely be interesting if and when we do discover life on other planets. It will be all the talk at the coffee shops, restaurants, hair salons, newspapers, radio, TV and online. But to have a shot at getting to that point we should be doing everything we can to protect our planet each and every day. We still seem to collectively take this place, Earth, for granted. This could prove to be the biggest mistake we could possibly make.          

Living to explore new frontiers suggests we need a basic public policy that prioritizes extending our planet’s life-sustaining potential to the maximum. Perhaps a secular first commandment is warranted, something like:   

“We shall not risk further damaging our home and provider, planet Earth.”

I would call this rather common sense public policy idea, The Planet Principle.  

The tenets of the Planet Principle are simple. Everywhere that thoughtful citizens exist, we work more assertively to end the risk of war, pandemic disease and climate change. Our priorities and jobs should emphasize the restoration of clean air and the cleanup and protection of our water and agricultural areas.  

Around the globe, we should step up diplomacy toward building Planet Principle alliances and collaborations. The economy will have to evolve toward better resourcing the longevity of people, enhancement of their places and the stewardship of this magnificent blue planet.   

At the grassroots level, no doubt in my mind most citizens would choose life- and planet-extension policies rather than flirt with the risk of premature extinction. If a meteor hits us, oh well, it's been a great ride. But doing ourselves in is not wise or acceptable. 

One doesn't need to be a genius to figure that out, do they?

Tom Barwin is Sarasota City Manager.