Setting Sail on a New Sea.

On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice University about the moon shot program he had announced a few months earlier

 "We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new, terrifying theater of war."

My observation is that this idea: that science and technology have no conscience of their own is universal in its application.

Indeed, our utilization, in the construction industry, of science and technology has no conscience of its own. We gobble up an immense amount of time, materials and energy providing our product. It is a conscience that is needed- a new conscience, driven by our intention to set sail on a new sea. This sea will have of limited resources, dangerous industrial processes, increasing demands of the societies that we serve and an aching need for an organizing principle.

Seriously, what are we doing when we capture resources from our planet, and devote time to construction rather than the direct advancement of our society? Yes, of course, we build housing to protect our fellow humans. We build hospitals to care for them. We build schools in which to teach our young, but do we have a guiding principle as to how we go about it? Well, we have competition, supposedly to control the costs of our consumptive industry. We have regulations to prevent unsafe practices. But do we have a guiding principle? Do we have an over-arching goal of our own as to how we do this significant process?

I propose that COOPERATION itself as the conscience needed as we embark on this new sea. What follows is my description of what cooperation can be for our industry.