In myth, the quest heals a wasteland.  The wasteland is commonly a loss of fertility, vigor or vitality.  For example, in the myths of the Quest for the Holy Grail, there were crop failures and famine, the decay from within of King Arthur’s Camelot, and the physical wasting of the Fisher King due to an un-healing wound.   In the legends, achieving the Grail healed those wastelands and restored the vitality of the realm.

The question is, “Do real quests heal real wastelands?”  I believe the answer is clearly “yes”.  Consider our current situation: the greatest wasteland we face today is global climate change.  It threatens the future of mankind and the stability of fundamental earth systems.   While the situation is grave, heroes are emerging and quests are underway to heal the wasteland.

Take for example the story of Ron Ace.  For three years Greg Gordon, a reporter with McClatchy Newspapers, has followed Ron Ace’s quest to cool the earth by evaporating sea water over the continents in the Northern Hemisphere.  Ace’s idea just might lead to a breakthrough — one with the power to heal the global-warming wasteland.

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