Award-winning architect Maya Lin often blends both architecture and art to connect people, place and landscapes. Her most recognizable work is The Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Washington, DC. (Photo Courtesy of Maya Lin)

My hope for the future is that we actually come to care more about the future.

Like every other species on this planet, we have been wired for immediacy -- our tools and approach to life have evolved for short-term gain. This instinct and our intellect have allowed us not only to survive but also to succeed in overpowering the other species with which we share the Earth. Unfortunately, it is fast becoming evident that what has benefited us for thousands of years is proving disastrous for the future of this planet.

We find ourselves on the cusp of Earth’s sixth mass extinction. However, this is the only one in the entire history of the planet caused by a single species -- ours. I am concerned about what it says about us—that we are not very good at thinking beyond our immediate selves, that we do not make our choices in terms of what our planet will be like for generations to come.

Until we have evolved to think not just one generation out, but three or four, or perhaps ten, we will continue to overuse and abuse the Earth’s resources and threaten the very place we call home with irreparable environmental degradation.

My dream, my hope for the future is that we evolve into beings that care about the far distant future. That we evolve to care not just about our own species, but also about the other living creatures with which we share this planet. That will be the ultimate definition of selflessness.