Just as we produce symptoms when we are under stress, so too does our
Earth. These tell tail signs seem destined to control the way we live
in the 21st century. Because if they do not we have ignored the Earth's
cries for help. Without our care our Earth may reject us, as our body
may reject an invading harmful virus.
An
exploding world population since the beginning of the 19-century, has
put compounding pressure on our planets unique resources. The agricultural
revolutions meant the clearing of ancient forests for both new civilizations
and there trade earning crops. As populations continued to climb so too
did our need for increased production. The
world welcomed mechanization. Industry that fueled our needs escalated
the abuse of our planet.
Fossil fuels are being burnt continuously spewing out billions of tons
of air polluting substances, including the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide;
levels are expected to triple in the next 100 years, pushing them to the
highest point in 50 million years. The "blanket" that resulted is trapping
the suns heat, which has raised the earth's temperature by 0.5 ° C. Enough
of an increase to see tropical cyclones, reaching further away from there
normal equatorial confines. Such small changes can be appreciated when
you understand that the last ice age was due to only a 3° C fall in temperature.
What of an increase of 3° C?
The scary thing is that we will find out within the next 45
years at our current rate of increase. Record storms and floods
are now ravaging all continents of the world. The ozone hole over the
Antarctic has continued to grow increasing the amount of ultra violet
light entering our atmosphere. Deserts have appeared where once Tropical
Rainforests survived.
Brazils
beautiful Amazon Rainforests is what scientists refer to as the Earth's
lung. Soaking up Carbon dioxide and releasing the air that we breathe.
Satellite photos show almost seven thousand fires burning simultaneously
throughout the region. The equivalent of a football field is either burned
or cleared by heavy machinery every second. Brazil is only one example
of a country desperately trying to use a resource to cure debt and poverty
problems.
There is a clear comparison to be made with Brazil and other developing
nations. By the year 2015 27 of the worlds 33 largest cities will be in
Asia 50% of the total world population will be in the Asian region. Many
of these people, some 3 billion are demanding their turn at a modern life
style glorified by the western world. The very practices our modern industrial
world used to develop are soon to be adopted by these hugely populated
Asian countries. Consequent pressures on the environment are obvious.
If they do embark on their journey through western ideologies our planet
is sure to send out more devastating systems of stress.
Already
China has witnessed how unecologically sound development policies can
spell disaster. Some 77% of water running through cities are no longer
drinkable. Yes it did used to be safe to drink from rivers.
We
are at an important point in human history. If we continue to upset the
delicate balance of nature it will be at our own peril. Every year new
signs emerge that the planet we occupy is changing, most of it due to
our presence on it. Records are falling everywhere as nature is fighting
back; size frequency, force and devastation of weather patterns are becoming
very obvious for us all to see. The changes we are
observing now will affect us all within our lifetime. Never before
have things been deteriorating at such a rapid rate. We need not accept
these changes as inevitable. These symptoms are messages being sent to
us from a nonverbal planet. If we heed them now and learn to harness the
power of the sun, wind and other forces, we may learn to live in harmony
with the environment.
Time is a luxury we may not have so lets stop abusing our only source
of life Earth.
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