Humans are inherently good creatures; fundamentally we all want to experience love, connection and happiness. Yet, the impact we have on our planet isn’t very reflective of our true selves.
There are over 7 billion people on this planet and only a small percentage are aware of the extent of damage being done to our environment and ecosystems.
We are slightly more than halfway through this year and already:
- We have caused over 2.78 million hectares (6.9 acres) of deforestation
- We have released over 19.9 billion tons of CO2 emissions
- We have caused over 6.4 million hectares (15.8 million acres) of desertification
- We have put more than 5.4 million tons of toxic chemicals into the environment
- We have consumed over 5.8 billion litres of water
- Over 451,000 people have died from diseases caused from drinking polluted water
And today alone, over 30,000 people have died from hunger.
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley
This video from Tech Viral shows us a very condensed version of what us humans are really like.
So what can we do to change our trajectory?
Well, according to the Energy Information Administration, it will take less than 37 years till we run out of oil, and about three times that amount till we run out of gas- literally.
The current way we are living is not sustainable for us or the planet we live on. The amount of solar energy striking the Earth today alone, is over 3 trillion MWh, yet we are still relying on nonrenewable resources to power our cities and our homes.
All of these statistcs can be found on Worldometers, and I suggest everyone take a look at this site. Really take a moment to appreciate the current state of things. Then, hopefully, we can all start making changes that will benefit this planet, for ourselves and for future generations.
By Raven Fon