Since we do not currently have Wall-E’s version of the spaceship Axion, the fact that we are destroying the planet we currently live on is an exact reflection of our concern over our limited resources. Being unconcerned about the health of our planet is also being unconcerned with your own health.
“Sustainability is managing resources so that there are some left for future generations,” AP environmental science teacher Suzanne Kehret said.
As of now, the human population as a whole is not living in a sustainable way and unless a majority of us starts to soon, our precious Earth will soon disappear right in front of us.
“You don’t need to be a hippy to realize that our current way of life is completely unsustainable,” senior Jack Koch said. “As a society, we need to realize the irrecoverable damage we are causing and change our way of life.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), our increased use of unsustainable practices is constantly putting more and more pressure on the planet’s natural resources in order for them to meet both the demands of our economy and our growing population.
Effects of this pressure we are causing include pollution of our soil, water and air, as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, expansion of urban areas and more.
According to a White House fact sheet, “Power plants are the largest major source of emissions in the U.S., together accounting for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas pollution.” This amount of greenhouse gas production lead both the US and China to the November 12th carbon emission cap agreements.
While there are obvious benefits to the anthropogenic changes we are causing, such as increased production of food, the ability to live more luxurious lifestyles, transportation and more, these benefits need to be weighed against the drawbacks.
According to WHO, “unsustainable levels of use of ecosystems have resulted in irreparable loss and degradation, with negative consequences for health and well-being.”
Basically, while the pros to our anthropogenic changes only affect a portion of the world’s population, the cons affect everyone. So if the fact that our planet is dying isn’t enough to scare people into living sustainably, maybe some hard facts will shock them into caring.
The truth is, 20 percent of the population uses 50 percent of the Earth’s resources. This means that the US consistently uses other people’s resources that exist far outside our own borders.
According to the Global Footprint Network, if everyone on Earth lived like the average American did, we would need approximately four and a half Earth’s in order to sustain the entire population.
“Realistically, it would take the majority of the human population to save the planet,” Koch said. “It’s sad, but I don’t really think many people are able to make the sacrifices required to make a change. In fact, many people are intentionally unaware of what’s going on because they are too afraid to face the truth.”
While it is true that getting enough people to live sustainably in order to save the planet will be a challenge, it is something that needs to happen–for obvious reasons.
“I don’t think we can reverse the things we have done, but we can stop it from getting worse,” junior Lydia Farmer said. “Just by making little changes in the way you live, such as refilling your water bottles, turning off the lights, changing your diet or using public transportation, you can have an impact because if other people see that, they will mimic it.”
It is important to realize that we can not live with the mindset of “one person isn’t going to make a difference, so I don’t have to change.” If everyone thought that way, then nothing would ever change. Instead, despite what others are doing, we need to start living greener in hopes that others will follow suit.
“You don’t need to be an extreme environmentalist to make a difference,” Kehret said. “Little changes make a big difference.”
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency website, simple things that everyone could do to help the Earth include: use less water when showering or brushing your teeth, turn lights off in rooms that aren’t being used and use public transportation or carpool when you can.
We will not see the changes right away, but we do need as many people as we can to start living more sustainably and environmentally consciously if we want to give the next generation a future.