The Present and Future of Humanity: Navigating Earth's History
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Chapter 1: The Best Time to Be Alive
Despite the negative outlook that often surrounds discussions about the state of the world, it’s worth considering that if you had to choose any era in Earth's extensive history to live in, you might very well select the present.
We enjoy a breathable atmosphere, modern dental care, sanitation facilities, vaccines, and antibiotics. Steven Pinker, in his book "Enlightenment Now," elaborates on the unprecedented advantages we have today.
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Section 1.1: The Fragility of Our Current Situation
This series of articles on Earth's history breaks down significant periods, each covering a span of 100 million years. To put this in perspective, if one day represented all of Earth’s history, then every minute would equate to 70,000 years, and each second would represent a millennium. In this context, Homo sapiens has only existed for a mere four minutes.
During this brief time, our planet has predominantly been in an "icehouse" state, characterized by ice caps at the poles. This climate has been crucial for the development of agriculture and urbanization. Historically, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been maintained below 300 parts per million (ppm). However, we now find ourselves at 420 ppm—a figure not seen for the past three million years, marking a 50% increase since pre-industrial times, and this level is rising rapidly.
Section 1.2: The Impact of Fossil Fuels
Global temperatures are rising at a rate ten times faster than at any other point in the last 66 million years. For instance, in 1850, Montana’s Glacier National Park boasted 150 glaciers; today, only 26 remain. Countries like Slovenia and Venezuela have completely lost their glaciers, a consequence of our reliance on fossil fuels.
As discussed in Part 44, coal primarily formed during the Carboniferous Period, while oil was produced over a longer timeframe (252 to 66 million years ago) from decomposed plankton. Natural gas, essentially methane, is a byproduct of oil extraction. These fossil fuels have been the driving force behind human advancement and expansion over the last two centuries.
Chapter 2: The Population Surge
The video "The Whole History of the Earth and Life 【Finished Edition】" provides a comprehensive overview of Earth's timeline and significant events that shaped life.
We have witnessed extraordinary growth in human numbers. In 1928, the global population was 2 billion. By the time I was born in 1967, it had risen to 3.45 billion, and now it stands at approximately 8.1 billion. This rapid increase can be better understood when you consider that if you were to eliminate the entire populations of North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australasia, Japan, the Philippines, and Russia, you still would not reach the population size of the world at my birth.
This drastic growth has led to a significant imbalance on our planet. Humans constitute 34% of all mammalian biomass, while our domesticated animals account for another 62%, leaving a mere 4% for the remaining 6,400 species of wild mammals. No other species has ever exerted such dominance over the planet.
The second video, "Putting The History Of Earth Into Perspective," contextualizes the evolution of our planet and the impact of human activity.
Section 2.1: The Sixth Great Extinction
Consequently, environmental changes are occurring at a rate surpassing that of all previous Great Extinction Events in Earth's past. From 1970 to 2012, the total population of vertebrates decreased by 60%. The UK has lost 44 million birds, while North America has seen a decline of nearly 3 billion. A 20-year study in Denmark indicated an alarming 80% reduction in flying insect populations between 1997 and 2017.
Currently, we are consuming the Earth’s resources 1.75 times faster than they can be replenished, a figure that jumps to 5.1 times for Americans. This level of consumption is unsustainable, leading many to believe we are on the brink of the Sixth Great Extinction.
Section 2.2: A Call for Reflection
At some point, humanity has seemingly lost touch with the fact that we are part of the ecosystem, intrinsically connected to the air, land, and sea.
While the Earth will endure, having survived greater catastrophes, the question remains: what will become of us? In a misguided act of global self-destruction, we are hastily shaping a world that threatens our own survival.
It is entirely reasonable to ponder: who will rescue humanity from itself?
This piece is Part 48 in a 50-part series exploring Earth’s history, with each article detailing a 100-million-year period. For more insights, check out Part 47: MAMMAL or Part 49: FUTURE. If you wish to follow the entire series, please stay tuned.