Earth’s Greatest Threats

[goldSkylark]

Human beings have brought a lot of pollution to the earth. Especially after the Industrial Revolution, human beings depended on the power of science and technology to create a lot of water pollution, air pollution,  in ancient times not so much pollution.

But wasn’t technology designed to help us? The phone or device you’re using to make a post on this forum -- isn’t that because of the convenience of technology? I don’t think it’s the industrial revolution that should be blamed, but humanity. At the end of the day, we have control of how we live our lives and for so long, we took advantage of Mother Nature.
And the news will tell you that technology is again being explored to help save the planet –whether it’s a device to clean oceans or a method to deal with plastic, AI or virtual reality  --apart from humanity’s negligence, the advancement of technology to enhance our lives has been constant in history.

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[m.roth]

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We hear about it but I feel that for the most part, we tend to think that it's a problem that somebody else will tend to and figure out.

Totally agreeing. So called "super-germs" are on the rise and the most immediate threat to us. There are more and more infections which can be treated only with some hard antibiotics but standard antibiotics do not work anymore. Bacteria getting more aggressive and resistant to new antibiotics quicker than before. Certainly, this development is only partially due to wrong medical application.

It is mostly because of the antibiotics used in agriculture, especially in chicken, turkey and pork "mass-cultures". We consume antibiotics with the meat we eat an let allowing resistant bacteria to thrive on the one hand. On the other hand, the animals themselves produce multi-resistant bacteria which are easily transferred to humans if we do not handle the meat correctly.

But as many other mentioned, this also comes with our greed and exploitation of the resources of this planet. We wouldn't have that problem (to this extent), if the food production was free range and organic, rather than mass production, where animals need antibiotics so they don't get sick.

[Instely]

I think most of us agree on the fact that the human is one of the main cause of earth's destruction.
I would say that the human factor that have made the earth go wrong the most is overpopulation.
Remember that each human needs maintenance and earth has limited resources. If there is more humans, there
needs to be a broader distribution of the limited resources what means, less food/water, more poverty and more contamination.
There's a terence mckenna talk about this topic which is very insightful and eye-opening about the importance of this problem, here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdQaBd6dHAE

[Spendulus]

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We hear about it but I feel that for the most part, we tend to think that it's a problem that somebody else will tend to and figure out.

Totally agreeing. So called "super-germs" ...

The only rational answer is to become "simper-humans."

I think most of us agree on the fact that the human is one of the main cause of earth's destruction....terence mckenna talk about this topic ...

No we don't agree.

McKenna is a fucking nut case and pseudo scientist.

in my oppinion greatest threats are humans, their fear, their greed, their panic, and possible assosiations that find together to reach goals at the expense of others. like bitcoin for example.

And the more the technology becomes more and more advance its do the opposite on the environment the plastics, E-waste will more and more and will destroy the living things in this world....

I admit to being worried about all the emails I put in the trash folder.

[tinent5]

Nuclear war;
While only two nuclear weapons have been used in war so far – at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II – and nuclear stockpiles are down from their the peak they reached in the Cold War, it is a mistake to think that nuclear war is impossible. In fact, it might not be improbable.

[Ezenwanyi]

Personally, I think religion(Islam) especially as practiced in Africa is one of the greatest earth threat in recent times.

Take a look at what is happening in Nigeria Africa for example.
Some terrorists masquareding as herdsmen are on killing spree. Killing both young and old, ripping the belly of pregnant women , all in the name of religion.

[hherwick]

Bioengineered pandemic;Natural pandemics have killed more people than wars. However, natural pandemics are unlikely to be existential threats: there are usually some people resistant to the pathogen, and the offspring of survivors would be more resistant. Evolution also does not favor parasites that wipe out their hosts, which is why syphilis went from a virulent killer to a chronic disease as it spread in Europe.

[PNB-1S:4S]

a very important of the Earth's problems are the ozone holes, which are increasing every year. And mankind can not stop it.

Yes, mankind cannot stop it, but mankind can extend the time that ozone holes will increase. We can make a contribution by simply avoiding or stop burning garbage, specially the garbage that contains chemicals which is bad for the ozone layer.

[Dinushan_US]

I trust that the Earth's Greatest Threats is no other than human.If there wasn't human earth don't want to face threat like global warming,extinction of plants and animal species,Sea level expansion and etc. What injurious acts individuals are doing, their ravenousness, and narrow-mindedness is the thing that makes the Earth undermined. Indeed, change is inescapable and is important for advancement and improvement. Nonetheless, it is our hallowed obligations and duty, as a higher request animals, to take great consideration of the Earth and ensure that the change happening is great and is useful to our planet.Now days most of people are selfish they haven't any idea about who harmful their activities for the planet. Individuals whom as far as anyone knows in-control in protecting and saving the Earth's assets, are the ones who destroy it.

[Sealis]

The Earth is facing extinction is all because of the strive of humans for improvement. On its way to the top, humans destroy the steps. It's basically killing ourselves since we are destroying the foundation of where we are right now.

[KonstantinosM]

In the 1850s we knew that carbon dioxide was a greenhouse gas.

In 1896 we knew that we were warming up the planet.


in 1990 we decided globally to reduce emissions.

Emissions have been increasing all the way up to 2018, 28 years after we decided that we were going to drop emissions.

The co2 in the atmosphere is increasing by around 3ppm per year. A ridiculous rate.

Somehow I don't think our cute little climate pacts like Paris are going to slow this trend.

The burning of coal, as it causes the atmosphere to heat up also paradoxically offsets some of the heating at the same time through the emission of particulates that drop the temperature.

Those particulates drop out of the atmosphere in a few weeks, CO2 stays up there for centuries. So when you stop burning carbon (which you inevitably have to as it is a non-renewable source) the climate heats even further and much quicker.

The sixth mass extinction is underway and we're the cause of it.


It's arrogant to think that humans can survive while the ecosystem dies. We rely on the productivity of the environment as much as all the other animals (if not more).

All it takes is about 3 years of failed crops for most of us to die of starvation. Maybe some humans can survive almost like astronauts in their own planet. But that's all that might be left.

I believe we have a real shot of survival if our technology somehow transcends the planet we live off off currently.

[FilesFM_Announcements]

wow #bleakoutlook!

If I read the subject matter correctly 'Earths Greatest Threats'.... None of the above will effect earth in the long run.. they are the threats the civilisation and temporary life on earth but not a threat to earth itself.

Humanity is in my mind a stepping stone to our next either man made(ai) or environmental evolutionary step to the next level of existence, our destiny is to leave earth behind us eventually anyway in one form or another.

I'd say earths greatest threat is a huge astroid which will clash with earth and knock its axis even further out of its spin.. and then maybe change the course of earths rotation around the sun, and perhaps we will clash with mars..

Don't get caught up on being human.. we will in some way or another transcend this stepping stone in the evolutionary process, the limitations of our intelligence, our social and economical constructs.

[joebrook]

in my oppinion greatest threats are humans, their fear, their greed, their panic, and possible assosiations that find together to reach goals at the expense of others. like bitcoin for example.

All the things stated by OP as the greatest threats of the planet are being caused by Human Beings. Animals and plants are going extinct because of the greed of People and they are poisoning the earth as well because of their acts.

[BADecker]

Earth’s Greatest Threat?

Flatlanders.

Why?

'Cause if the Earth is flat, there aren't enough of them to even think about giving the rest of us proper medical care at the insane asylums and funny farms.

 

[Diced90]

I think bias is a huge threat, a lot of people can't see past their own opinions which can lead to dangerous consequences

Just look at the effects of religious cults to see where dangerous biases can lead.

[BLAST2MARS]

Well, the good thing about climate change is that when they cause catastrophies, they tend to clean the atmosphere again and start fresh. When floods hit the cities or earthquake shake the urban places, the people stop building things there and find another place and that's the time the place start recovering.

[xena2]

in my oppinion greatest threats are humans, their fear, their greed, their panic, and possible assosiations that find together to reach goals at the expense of others. like bitcoin for example.

I agree, and that human greed destroys our planet. Ruining the natural form of of earth. We are not contented on what the nature gives us, we always want more, and more and more. That we didn't think how will it affect the entire human beings.

[ibrar.noman]

A National Geographic article accurately describes the state of our planet through outlining the major issues present every Earth Day since 1970. Environmental issues began with pesticides causing death in bald eagles and soot darkening our atmosphere. This year, it’s not just the awareness of plastic use imperiling the earth that is brought up. Today’s worsening environmental issues are apparently, a culmination of all the groundwork humanity has laid over the past two hundred years. 

Habitat loss and climate change are the most pressing issues we are facing today, and one can’t help but fear the seemingly inevitable destruction of our planet.

I believe we have every right to question humanity’s emotional connection to the natural world.

Twenty-first century threats to our environment—including invasive species, diseases, pollution, and a warming climate—are putting wildlife populations at risk.

[IndigoRed]

In the 1850s we knew that carbon dioxide was a greenhouse gas.

In 1896 we knew that we were warming up the planet.


in 1990 we decided globally to reduce emissions.

Emissions have been increasing all the way up to 2018, 28 years after we decided that we were going to drop emissions.

The co2 in the atmosphere is increasing by around 3ppm per year. A ridiculous rate.

Somehow I don't think our cute little climate pacts like Paris are going to slow this trend.

The burning of coal, as it causes the atmosphere to heat up also paradoxically offsets some of the heating at the same time through the emission of particulates that drop the temperature.

Those particulates drop out of the atmosphere in a few weeks, CO2 stays up there for centuries. So when you stop burning carbon (which you inevitably have to as it is a non-renewable source) the climate heats even further and much quicker.

The sixth mass extinction is underway and we're the cause of it.


It's arrogant to think that humans can survive while the ecosystem dies. We rely on the productivity of the environment as much as all the other animals (if not more).

All it takes is about 3 years of failed crops for most of us to die of starvation. Maybe some humans can survive almost like astronauts in their own planet. But that's all that might be left.

I believe we have a real shot of survival if our technology somehow transcends the planet we live off off currently.

Interesting you mentioned that “shot of survival if our technology somehow transcends the planet we live off currently.” Because I often come across articles and even posts about how emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual realities are working to do just that –particularly, saving the planet by creating a shared virtual space where everything is digitized. I heard this could happen in a few decades. Have you heard about it?
https://www.decentpropaganda.com/the-path-to-freedom-is-digitized/

[pietro_B]

This is one of the greatest challenges that faces us.
Even if we manage to "heal" the planet and create a proper sustainable way of life for the human race, eventually the sun will stop shining and humans will disappear unless we find a way to create a sustainable life not based on a planet.