< Is this the forerunner of an ecumenopolis?[/caption]With the recent earthquakes in New Zealand and China I am reminded of the belief of Dr Ian Player (the renowned conservationist and thought-leader who wrote the Foreword for my book) that the planet would retaliate in response to humankind's disruption of natural systems and decimation of species. I must confess that at the time we had this conversation I thought that it was somewhat of an anthropomorphic worldview as it attributed human characteristics of retribution and revenge to the planet. A decade-and-a-half later I concede that Dr Player could have a point! With the anthroposising of the planet and our relentless march towards an ecumenopolis (a gargantuan city that stretches from north to south, east to west covering the Earth's surface) will we, in our lifetime, witness the end of the metaphorical "Long Summer", a period of planetary equilibrium that has enabled our species, homo sapiens sapiens, to prosper to the point of overproliferation? Certainly it seems that things are speeding up which, although it confirms what I felt and wrote about in “Miracles of Hope” over two decades ago, is nevertheless disquieting to say the least. We are certainly living in interesting times!!