Some of the numerous worldwide cataclysmic threats that humans are aware of are more often discussed in the media than others. Hollywood has made movies on asteroid strikes, supervolcano eruptions, and climate change. And each of these has in the past had a disastrous impact on life on our planet.
Unbeknownst to many, a brand-new global threat that has the power to end life as we know it is simmering in the background of our daily activities. It is motivated by peoples' enormous desire to consume material goods. Additionally, it is ironically a result of human existence itself.
Just take a glance around you; whether you need them or not, you are inescapably surrounded by material things. Every piece of this material we consume is part of a huge worldwide action network that is steadily robbing people of their emotional well-being, depleting Earth's resources, and harming the ecosystems on our planet. Is there a chance that human consumption may eventually render Earth uninhabitable if allowed unchecked? Do we have the strength to turn around before it's too late?
A new study comparing all of the biological mass, or biomass, on the planet with human-made mass, also known as anthropogenic mass, was released by a team of researchers Weizmann Institute of Sciences. They showed that the former, for the first time in human history, has either exceeded the latter or will soon do so.
According to research by the Weizmann Institute, every individual on earth today generates more anthropogenic mass each week than their body weight. According to Professor Ron Milo, whose lab conducted this study, "the finding that anthropogenic mass—human-made stuff—now weighs as much as all living things, and the fact that it keeps accumulating rapidly, gives another clear perspective on how humanity is now a major player in shaping the face of the planet." "Human actions have a significant quantitative impact on life on Earth."
Many people are not surprised by this discovery since they believe that humans have already ushered in the Anthropocene, or "age of humans," a term coined by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen. It's unclear when exactly this age started, but there's no doubt that humans have taken over as the dominant species on earth, affecting all other types of life through our actions.
It is concerning how big and how much manmade stuff there is. Consider the instance of plastic; even though the current era of plastics didn't begin until 1907, we now create 300 million tons of plastic annually. Furthermore, it is mind-boggling to realize that concrete is the most often utilized material on Earth after water.
When resources like concrete and aggregates were readily accessible, the huge geoengineering process that humanity had started intensified. The increase in anthropogenic mass is mostly composed of these two components. Even the relatively recent human space exploration endeavors, which started roughly 60 years ago, are contributing to a catastrophic space debris issue. Alongside this, we haphazardly see permafrost thawing, polar cap melting, and rising global temperatures.
So why did this occur? Are we genetically predisposed to become so materialistic that we end up destroying ourselves? Is the buildup of manmade matter only an indicator of the annihilation rate of humans? Or will nature provide humanity with the means to solve this issue? These are really complicated issues.
Some contend that natural selection may have predisposed our species to a desire to amass things, even if there is evidence that materialism is learned and influenced by culture. A sense of security and prestige that comes from our possessions may have been more significant earlier in human history.
Humans have been conditioned to believe that creating something new is a meaningful purpose in life
Making new things has somehow evolved into a holy concept in the collective human consciousness. From ancient tales to contemporary research and development facilities, it is loudly present in all of our endeavors. The Genesis account in the Bible begins, "In the beginning, God created the sky and the Earth." People have been trained to think that inventing new things is what makes life worthwhile and the only way to achieve their goals. But we neglect to set a limit on the usage.
In the process of attempting to resolve this puzzle, the limitations of science have never been more egregiously visible. Because the emphasis is still on new technology and increased use rather than changing lifestyles or business models that contributed to the problem in the first place, relying only on green technical solutions is misguided. Even if we can completely replace all fossil fuel-based vehicles with electric ones, cities are already having trouble accommodating automobiles on the roads and owing to the materials required to construct them, electric vehicles have their own impact on the world's resources.
According to Emily Elhacham, one of the study's authors from the Weizmann Institute of Sciences, "the buildup of anthropogenic mass also connects to urban expansion, along with its related environmental effects, already observed globally." "I'm hoping that increasing knowledge will lead to a shift in conduct that makes it possible to strike a better balance. Every action taken in this direction will be fruitful."
Consider the environmental impact of modern technology, the internet, and the systems that support it. It contributes approximately 3.7% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2025, it's expected to treble. It may seem like a minor decrease from one person, but when multiplied by billions of people, these seemingly insignificant reductions may add up to large reductions in emissions. (Learn more about how using the internet affects the environment.)
Big technology businesses frequently make claims about turning green or setting targets for carbon neutrality, but they seldom urge individuals to use social media less or buy less. Instead, advertising and marketing strategies send forth strong messages that support the adage "consume more."