The Climate Problem

You've probably heard it before: Scientific communities all over the world have observed climate change as a growing threat to society, and despite nearly 97% consensus among climate scientists and increasing evidence—including extreme weather events, record temperatures, retreating glaciers, and rising sea levels—the general response to climate change falls well below what is necessary to prevent irreparable damage to our environment. In addition, there continues to be a large number of climate change critics who deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. Not surprisingly, many of these climate change deniers receive significant support from—or are heavily invested in—industries that thrive on the extraction and consumption of natural resources that contribute to greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and pollution in delicate ecosystems. 

Many of us who are concerned with these trends stand by helplessly as evidence of climate change grows while human development continues at unprecedented rates. The world population exceeded seven billion in March of 2012 and it is estimated that we will reach eight billion in less than ten years. Scientific research suggests that Earth has a maximum capacity of nine to ten billion people, a number that is likely to be reached within our lifetimes, and evidence of a rapidly approaching deadline to find balance with our environment.

It's not just sheer number of humans that is the problem as we are the single most resource-hungry species living on the planet. The Global Footprint Network announced in August 2015 that humanity uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. At this pace of consumption it takes the Earth eighteen months to regenerate what humans use in one year. In simple terms, this is not sustainable.

As we begin to understand more and more about our impact on the planet and our environment, we face a handful of challenges. The big 'problem' is that human beings are damaging the environment at a dangerous rate. Contributing to this problem are the various challenges of sustainable development that most of the world faces while striving to achieve the same level of advancement as the the developed western world. 

In the pursuit of an advanced global civilization, it is critical that human development is bound by the availability of natural resources. Regardless of whether climate change is real or not, we must collectively agree that maintaining the health of our planet and the availability of resources is our responsibility. Humans possess the intelligence, technology, and consciousness to ensure that resources are available for future generations. The challenge is acting properly to maintain the delicate balance between human civilization and a healthy planet.

What are our options for replacing antiquated development practices with smart, sustainable, and calculated methods that allow humans to thrive on a single, contained planet? There is a growing number of people and organizations dedicated to exploring the answers to this challenging question. The UN Sustainable Development goals provide a basis for a more balanced future; as we approach COP21 in Paris in November 2015 there is potential for a major step forward. These are just a few of the things we can look forward to in creating a more sustainable civilization.