Dr Tom de Booij Koningsweg 45 3743 ET Baarn The Netherlands

Baarn, August 1999

Dear Reader,

Herewith I sent you a print of my homepage: www.egoproject.nl. Until now I got over 500 visitors on my homepage since 8 April 1999, but practically no comments or critical remarks. I selected 50 addresses of persons and institutions that might be interested in my homepage. It reads easier when the text is printed out. Maybe by this way I will get some reactions.

Some facts in my article are already outdated. On page 17 of the main article we can read: "In 1960 was the ratio of the richest 20% to the poorest (of the world population) 30:1, 1991 was the ration 61:1!"

In 1997 this ratio was 74: l. Our prediction in April 1999 that the oil price of 10 dollar per barrel will go up was however correct. On page 35 we wrote:" It is quite possible that the price will rise soon to 16-18 dollars per barrel". (Actually the price is at the moment around 19 dollar per barrel).

As you will see I made a trip around the world to see and feel what was going on in three places: Easter Island (Chile), Northern Territory in Australia and Sarawak (Malaysia). I have chosen Easter Island as a metaphor for the future of our planet. The two other locations I have chosen to see if the gatherers and hunters (the Aboriginal and the Penan tribes) could give us some hints to survive a future disaster.

To my great disappointment I experienced a complete other picture then I had imagined. See for details my third and fourth travel report (page 3-8 of the travel reports). The so-called civilized world has nearly wiped out the culture of these gatherers and hunters. The Aboriginal with alcohol and the Penan tribe by destroying their home: the rain forest.

But there was also a sunny side during my trip: the visit to Easter Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I expected to see a barren island with some remnants of the vanished culture: the stone statues. To my surprise I found in and around the town Hanga Roa a happy population of nearly 3000 people surviving the hardships of a destroyed civilization 300 years ago. After every winter, spring will come. Over the remnants of a wrecked civilization new offspring's will come up. I have described my experience in my first and second travel report. (page 1-3 of the travel reports). With my friend Peter Delahay, coordinator of the Foundation Vulcanus, I will return next year to the Easter Island during their yearly festival Zapati. We will also meet our Swiss friend Jozef Schmid, who lives since 8 years on the island. Jozef is making a study of the history and their people who survived the downfall of the civilization, since the Dutchmen Jacob Roggeveen landed on the Island on Easter day 5 April 1722. Maybe this will give us some ideas how to survive next century.

Barely returned from my world trip, I had a shocking experience in my home country the Netherlands. In chapter 14 of my main article (see page G1-G2) you will find my experiences and activities with the "Reizigers" (Travellers, Dwellers). The Dutch authorities have just passed a law that these originally nomadic people are not anymore considered as a minority group with special rules. In Leiden, I have together with the "Reizigers" fought against the project of the authorities to disperse this settlement into smaller camps. We succeeded that there will be only displacement possible when it is not against the will of the "Reizigers". But what happened on Tuesday 22 June 1999. (We call it Black Tiuesday from now on). With a police force of 150 men, bulldozers (a police helicopter tW "-urw.g:10 hours over the camp) they demolished a caravan of a woman living with her two daughters. The reason of this brutal act: they had no license to build this caravan. I went to the camp and watched this terrible scene. I even got some blows with a rubber stick from policemen. It was a terrible experience. It proved to me that we are living in a strange world.

My feeling is that we are - in our so-called western civilized world - all sitting in a train who is driving with an exponentially accelerating speed towards a brick wall. Unfortunately there is no driver on the train who can stop the train before smacking into the wall (see on page 10 of the main article a quotation from Jacques Cousteau). Jumping out this train means suicide. I do not see a way to lead the train to another track and avoiding disaster. All this is very frustrating. T,he only thing left over is to describe the process of the geological sixth extinction on this planet earth (see link 5 to the main article, pagel5-20 on the geological five massive extinction's of living species on earth). This I have done in my article: "Where is our planet earth heading to in the next century".

Maybe I am deadly wrong with my statements, therefore I am looking forward to get reactions especially from people who are totally disagreeing with my ideas and are fmding some loopholes. As a geologist I should accept the bare fact that when a living thing grows, it will finally die like a tree, it could not grow forever towards the sky. The second law of thermodynamics never takes a holiday! (see page 2 of the main article and link 2 to the article page 3-7).

Anyhow I hope you will read my paper and hear something from you.

With my kindest regards

Tom de Booij