The Earth’s human population continues to grow every second of every day. This exponential growth explosion has largely been facilitated through the extraction and refinement of fossil fuels. An interesting fact in Heinberg’s, The Party’s Over, stated that 2 to 5 billion people would not be able to sustain life without the use of fossil fuels and oil products (i.e. synthetic fertilizer). Basically, the extraction of this resource has sky-rocketed our expansion beyond any previous “carrying capacity” limits. This is a staggering realization as to how much our daily lives and societies rely on an ever-diminishing resource.
As we continue to consume this resource (or any resource for that matter) faster than it is replenished, we face an inevitable conclusion: One day there will not be any left. We have seen this mathematical equation played out many times and also discovered that it was the underlying reason for the collapse of
If we choose to accept this as our fate then we mustn’t stray far from the path we are already on. The problems we are faced with are complex, sometimes so complex that we try not to even think about them. However, every day that we do confront these problems and ask questions, our chances of survival increase. These problems that we face today will not just effect our generation but also many generations to come.
A world-wide understanding of this unsustainable, down-ward spiral we are all involved in could only be a good thing. It will help us to realize that we are all interconnected; that we the people along with the animals, plants, rivers and oceans are part of this vibrant ecosystem on Earth.
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