Space - extending infinitely in all directions.
Minds strain and stretch to unlock its mysteries.
We've only begun to probe,
yet in that short span of time, space has taught us much.
The more we learn about galaxies, stars and planets,
the more enlightened our own world becomes.
With the advent of the space age, we have for the first time
seen our tiny world suspended in the dark void,
showing none of the artificial boundaries that divide humankind.
This fragile planet is at our mercy
and we must all strive to protect it for ourselves
and generations to come.
We've learned that the Earth is a perfect, living, breathing sphere.
Once considered unlimited, now we know better.
Population continues to explode,
making resources, food supplies, and the land itself more precious.
Social problems such as crime, debt, poverty,
disease, and incompetent governments compound the problems -
problems that aren’t solved by politics
or by leadership that doesn't lead.
We are losing faith and growing impatient
as we watch these conditions spread, and rightly so,
since practical solutions are within reach.
We are approaching a time when we must decide upon a new direction
before the choices are made for us.
The answers of yesterday are no longer relevant.
We can now act decisively with a new direction,
designed to further our social evolution
and boldly enter the 21st century.
In the next few minutes
you will see a vision of the future with a fresh approach.
A vision with human and environmental concern.
A vision called The Venus Project.
THE VENUS PROJECT
The Venus Project presents an alternative design for our culture.
It provides an attainable direction for a bright and better future
by applying the latest technologies directly to our social system
to benefit the lives of everyone.
Through education and the intelligent application of what we already know,
we can eventually eliminate war, poverty, hunger,
debt, crime, and taxes.
[Jacque Fresco] There's no place to hide today -
you cannot escape from human stupidity.
War, weapons,
corruption, seems to be prevalent all over the world.
Merely talking about idealism
and not designing an approach
does not alleviate the problem.
Our main aim and our main reason for funding
is to make these things a reality.
The aims of The Venus Project
are to ensure social and economic stability,
quality medical care and education,
a clean environment,
plentiful housing, goods and services,
recreation, and access to all the amenities
that a prosperous innovative society can provide.
These goals are not merely a paper proclamation.
They can be translated into a physical reality
if, as a society, we choose to do so.
A democracy that does not ensure the necessities of life is meaningless.
So I would say the more we invest in human beings,
in warmth, love, education, good fellowship,
the more secure all our futures.
We are tied in with nature
and all of the environment surrounding us.
To negate or neglect any part of that
would be damaging to ourselves and our own aim.
We do it because it's the decent and constructive thing to do.
The American free enterprise system does generate incentive.
However, it also creates greed, corruption, crime,
stress, and economic insecurity.
The consuming pursuit of money that grips many in our society
has a dehumanizing effect
and has led us to our present self-centered values.
What'll happen if we continue to automate production
and get rid of more and more people?
Pretty soon, if you automate typing,
and you automate most human jobs,
then the majority of Americans
and the majority of people all over the world
will not have the purchasing power to buy products.
So what good is a factory of turning out automobiles
if they have an automation plant, and the automobiles turned out automatically,
who is going to be around to be able to buy those cars?
What are they going to use for money?
So what happens - our system dies.
The free enterprise system was terrific
50 years ago, maybe 30 years ago,
but it's no longer adequate.
So if an automobile factory or any other factory goes completely automatic
and most people lose their jobs
and they don't have the purchasing power,
you tell me how the free enterprise system can function.
It comes to an end. And when it comes to an end,
there become gangs and riots, and crime begins to rise.
I'm not advocating this, I'm not for this.
I'm just trying to describe what most likely will happen.
And if that happens, then a military dictatorship will come in,
in which people will tell you how to live and what to do.
That's called a dictatorship.
It comes about when you can't manage
the mass majority of your people.
And so,
that dictatorship is something I have a tremendous fear of,
and we're trying to do this Venus Project to show people
of a possible alternative to social chaos.
The Venus Project proposes a resource-based economy
making the necessities of life available to everyone.
The real value of any nation is its developed and potential resources,
and the individuals that are working towards the elimination of scarcity.
This can only be accomplished
through the intelligent application of science and technology.
Unfortunately, today, science and technology
has been diverted from achieving these ends
through the deliberate withdrawal of efficiency,
and planned obsolescence.
This is now true in every aspect of our society.
When education and resources are made available,
there would be no limit to the human potential.
The measure of success would be based on the fulfillment
and the quality of one's life
rather than the acquisition of wealth, property and power.
By the redesign of our culture and overcoming scarcity,
most of the crimes and even the prisons of today's society
could be eliminated.
The Venus Project’s proposed cities and industrial plants
would be the birthplace for such an environment.
It is far easier and less costly
to build new efficient cities and industrial plants
than to attempt to update and solve the problems of the old ones.
They would combine the most sophisticated utilization
of available resources and construction techniques.
The city's circular arrangement in its geometric elegance
would be surrounded by parks and lovely gardens,
and designed to operate with the minimum expenditure of energy,
to obtain the highest possible standard of living for all.
The city's concentric circles each have a specific function.
The agricultural belt is situated in the outermost perimeter.
A waterway surrounds the agricultural belt
which produces bountiful crops,
many grown in transparent enclosed buildings
without the use of pesticides and dangerous chemical fertilizers.
Eight areas are set aside to provide energy
from the wind, sun and other clean renewable sources.
There will be continuous research and development for new clean energy.
The residential area,
beautifully landscaped amid lake and winding streams,
displays a wide variety of homes,
contoured to blend in with the environment.
They are prefabricated with new materials requiring little maintenance.
With this type of construction,
damage from earthquakes, hurricanes and fire would be greatly reduced.
As we leave the residential district and move towards the city center,
we pass additional recreational facilities and dining areas.
Here, a wide selection of organically grown food would be available.
Next are the apartments, planning and design centers.
As we approach the center of the city,
we see a large dome surrounded by eight smaller domes.
These small domes house the library, science, art, music,
research, exhibition, entertainment, and conference centers,
which are fully equipped and available to all.
The central dome or theme center houses the cybernated system,
educational facilities, shopping,
communications networking, and the medical center.
This cybernated system will link computers with automated machinery
coordinating all the services and functions of the entire city.
One can think of this as the brain and nervous system
extending into all areas of the society.
For example, in the residential sector,
it will monitor environmental cleanliness and recycle waste.
It will automatically control and maintain a constant inventory
between factory and consumers.
Production and distribution will be balanced
to correspond with demand, eliminating shortages and overruns.
Although the industrial districts are highly automated,
they are non-polluting, silent, and clean,
with easy access to the cities.
They border canals, which facilitate transportation.
When cybernation is integrated into all aspects of this new and dynamic culture,
only then can computers appropriately serve the needs of all people.
No technological civilization can ever operate efficiently and effectively
without the application of cybernetics to the social system.
This dynamic approach only acts to enhance people's lives;
it doesn't monitor or dictate their lives.
Monotonous and boring jobs would be phased out,
and a high standard of living will be maintained for everyone.
With an opportunity for constant growth and achievement,
people will have the time and freedom to choose the lifestyle
they find the most fulfilling.
The central dome provides access to most transportation.
Horizontal, vertical and radial conveyors take one anywhere within the city.
Monorails and electrically operated vehicles
provide for city-to-city transportation.
Transcontinental runs are made by a wide variety of aircraft.
High-speed maglev trains remain in motion
as passenger compartments are lifted away, and others are lowered in their place.
These units then take passengers to their local destinations.
Living would also be exciting in one of the cities on or below the sea.
Seacraft would be available for everyone’s use.
A computerized console in an undersea apartment
brings many forms of marine life within view.
Eventually, through using total design concepts,
the threat of floods or droughts could be minimized.
A series of canals and water-storage basins with flood locks
could provide irrigation, transportation and recreation,
and hold back flood waters for future needs.
As with any massive construction initiative,
the possible gains and negative effects will be thoroughly reviewed
before each project is started.
Perhaps the greatest limiting factors of our present day pre-scientific culture
can be traced to our language, social customs and values,
which were conceived in earlier times.
The designs of The Venus Project
will not only be applied to cities, industrial processes and the environment,
but to education as well.
The aims of The Venus Project have no parallel in history -
not with communism, socialism, fascism,
or any other political ideology.
This is true because cybernation is of recent origin.
With this system, the positions of financial influence and control
would no longer exist.
Our only concern is the building of a better world
by eventually inviting the equal participation of all nations.
The function of this new experimental city
is to test the validity of the Venus Project’s designs and proposals.
There is no doubt that there would be shortcomings
and inevitable modifications during this transition,
which we accept and expect.
But the final test of the practicality of any system
is simply how well the system works.
As these newer communities develop and become widely accepted,
they will form the basis of a new society,
preferably through the process of evolution rather than revolution.
BEYOND THE VISION
Well, I wanted to say there's no such thing as Utopia.
What you call the best television set
is the best that you have up to now.
But you know two years from now you’ll look back and say "Oh my God!'"
So, what you call Utopia is just a better way of life
than you’ve known in the past, but there's no end
to the possibilities, which I think haven't even begun yet!
The civilized world hasn’t even begun to get off the ground.
The jobs that will be accomplished in the future,
the marvels, the technology to come, is unbelievable.
And it's about high time we get off our self-centered
self-seeking,
self-advantageous designs,
and get on with the social job that has to be done,
namely, the reclamation of the environment, and human beings as well.
So we welcome everybody’s participation.
Phase One is the Venus Project’s 25-acre Design Center
in still pristine South Central Florida,
where the future is taking shape now.
The actual building along with models, illustrations, and this video
are the first steps that have been completed
to help you feel, see and touch the future -
to dream, to hope,
to strive for a better life for all people everywhere,
where nature and technology can safely coexist.
Indeed, The Venus Project is a quantum jump
from our politically mismanaged and scarcity-oriented culture.
The technology and resources necessary for such an undertaking
are available today.
But before it can happen,
we must act supportively to bring it about.
The only limitations to the human potential
are those we superimpose upon ourselves.
This is only a brief introduction to the aims of The Venus Project.
We invite your inquiries, and welcome your participation
to help make the choices that will bring it about.
[Model Machine Shop]
For further information, or for the book 'The Venus Project'
THE VENUS PROJECT 21 Valley Lane Venus FL 33960 USA
Phone 942-465-0321 Fax 941-465-1928
website www.thevenusproject.com
THE VENUS PROJECT
Proposed & Designed by Jacque Fresco
Producers Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows
Script Jacque Fresco
Photography Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows
Editor Wilson Hawthorne
Copyright 1994, The Venus Project