The Stakes,
Humanity &
Consumption

 

 

Is the planet affected only by humans or by other species as well? The best answer is as simple as imagining it. Take a picture of the planet 2000 years ago, and you'll see a lush, blue planet teeming with life, clear and pristine waters, and a blue sky. Now, take a picture today, and you'll see oceans polluted by industrial waste and plastic debris, deteriorating lakes, and sprawling cities that have replaced forests, visible even from space. Do you still think humans have nothing to do with it? Of course, they do because if humans had never existed, the planet would still be brimming with life, just as it was 2000 years ago...

 

But how did this pollution escalate so rapidly to the critical and prevalent point we see today? We don't need to go back that far – just 100 years to grasp the severity and explosion of this pollution and understand how to combat it before being overwhelmed by it.

 

It all began around the 1920s with the industrial revolution. Why make a pencil by hand one at a time when you can produce thousands on an assembly line with machinery and electricity? Quite simply, to make our lives easier and to make money because intelligence allows us to distinguish ourselves from animals by creating and innovating to provide us with a simpler, easier, and less harsh life. This marked the beginning of civilizations, communities, and cities with ever-growing purchasing power. But real consumption truly began around the 1920s.

 

This growing demand for reasonably priced goods multiplied and adapted to all environments. These large-scale factories, many of which still operate today, were powered by coal to provide them with electricity. We built hundreds, even thousands of them to manufacture goods and make more money in these populous cities.

 

The pollutants generated by these factories were naturally and continuously recycled by the planet, but the surplus pollutants that the planet couldn't recycle began accumulating everywhere, spreading across the land or getting diluted in water. During those years, leaders denied the worsening impact of these industrial emissions and cared little about it because profit was the sole goal, just as it is today and for many years to come.

 

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Reference : wikipédia