StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction - Literature review Example

Cite this document
Summary
This literature review "Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction" discusses environmentalists who have a more valid point because humanity is on the brink of destruction, due to the rapid population growth rate. The human population is vastly dependent on the earth's resources…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER99% of users find it useful
Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction"

Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction In the essay "Is Humanity Suicidal?" by E. O. Wilson, theauthor says "The human species is, in a word, an environmental abnormality" (Wilson 117). This means the adverse impacts placed on planet earth by human beings have a high possibility of threatening the survival of the human species. Therefore, it is imperative for contemporary societies to start thinking about the consequences of their actions on planet earth, and act to reverse them. Environmentalists have claimed that the human race is on the path of destruction, and their claims are valid. This paper is an illustration of how environmentalists prove that the human race currently heads towards destruction and a counterargument presented by critics. One of the main causes to us being on the brink of destruction is the increase in human population. "...the human species has doubled to 5.5 billion during the past 50 years" (Wilson 116). The consistent increase in population is a sign that human beings are on the path of self-destruction. With human population increasing so quickly, within a short time, people do not even know what to expect or how to handle it. The worst part is "It is scheduled to double again in the next 50 years" (Wilson 116). The Earth is only able to capacitate so many organisms, humans being at the top of the chain. Human beings will not know when that capacity is met until it is too late; by then the Earth will be overpopulated and there will be no going back. Rapid growth of population leads to endless competition for scarce resources, often resulting to conflicts and destruction of the environment as human beings utilize resources. Wilson concludes, "We are tribal and aggressively territorial, intent on private space and beyond minimal requirements, and oriented by selfish sexual and reproductive drives" (Wilson 16). With each generation produced comes, a great increase in the human population. With every human being comes wants; humans are consumers of the earth. In order to satisfy everyones "wants," appropriate resources need to be acquired. This often leads to quick exploitation of resources so as to enhance their rapid acquisition. Conservative journalists such as Alston Chase and Julian Simon claim that there is no cause for alarm about the growing population. Chase asserts that extinction is natural, and 99% of things that existed in the past are now extinct. If human beings live by these claims, they will deplete resources and become extinct. Wilson (118) says, "Because Earth is finite in many resources that determine the quality of life - including arable soil, nutrients, fresh water and space for natural ecosystems - doubling of consumption at constant time intervals can bring disaster with shocking suddenness." The more humans reproduce and increase human population size, the more they deplete their daily resources. Without these resources, they will not manage to survive. Wilson (123) says, "Humanity is now destroying most of the habitats where evolution can occur." Many of the species are being taken from their habitats or becoming extinct because of the way the society uses their resources; we are extinguishing the habitats that species live in because of the increase in population. "At the heart of the environmentalists’ world view is the conviction that human physical and spiritual health depends on sustaining the planet in a relatively unaltered state" (Wilson 119). However, some people no longer care about the physical and spiritual satisfaction they derive from the environment. Charles Birch speaks on the impact of technological advancement on the environment. He says, “Just as the dinosaurs became extinct because they could not adapt to their changing environment, humanity faces extinction if it cannot adapt to a rapidly changing environment caused by global industrial civilization” (Birch 19). Indeed, the rate of advancement in technology and industrialization is remarkably high. Most of the industries are located in the developed world. These use a lot of water and increase pollution on land, water and air. Consequently, the flora and fauna face destruction. If there are no adequate resources for human beings to use, then they are headed for misery and death. Birch continues to insist, “…20 percent of the global human population now consumes 80 percent of resources and wealth while the remaining 80 percent of the people consume only 20 percent of resources and wealth” (Birch 12). This is the situation in the globe. Human beings in the developed countries have a competitive advantage over the people living in Third World or developing countries. They can exploit resources faster than those in the developing countries. Thus, it is true to say that the people in the developed countries will reach the self-destruction level later than those in the developing countries. The reason behind this is that they will exploit resources in their countries and extend to the developing countries due to their technological advancements. The unending desire of human beings to accumulate wealth leads to reduction and depletion of resources on a daily basis. Human beings fail to acknowledge that the environment does not expand as population expands. This leads to continuous exploitation of minerals, land and forestry in a manner that warrants concern to environmentalists and global environment specialists. Wilson asserts, “many of Earths vital resources are about to be exhausted, its atmospheric chemistry is deteriorating, and human populations have already grown dangerously large" (Wilson 119). If we keep reproducing at the rate we are, population sizes are going to increase greatly, causing a demand for more resources. The more humans reproduce the more problems they come across, but high reproduction rates will remain part and parcel of people’s lives unless an action is taken. If resource usage rate keeps increasing at a faster rate than the reproduction rate of the environment, people are literally going to use up all the resources. When that happens there will not be any resources, and we will need to find new alternatives to all the things we use. This scenario interferes with the complex support system of ecology, and it might be impossible to replace resources in the future. The specific human activities that lead to destruction on earth can never go unnoticed. Desertification, deforestation, oil spills, ozone depletion, species extinction and poor garbage disposal lead human beings on the path of destruction. If human beings do not change their ways, then they are on the right direction towards self-destruction. Failure to act means lack of resources and destruction of the environment at the same time. Human beings must act quickly in a manner that will lead to sustainable development. People must think of how to safeguard the environment for the future generations. If people are not going to stop the high rate of human reproduction, then there is the need to work towards a more environmentally friendly way of living, or search for new, alternative resources. In "A Special Moment in History" Bill Mckibben says, Weve increased the population fourfold in that 150 years; the amount of food humans grow has gone up faster still; the size of the economy has quite simply exploded" (Mckibben 87). All these things determine the current and future global environmental state. Human beings will soon realize the damage being done to the earth and how many humans depend on the planet’s resources. What these scientists are saying is absolute: “Human ingenuity can turn sand into silicon chips, allowing the creation of millions of home pages on the utterly fascinating World Wide Web, but human ingenuity cannot forever turn dry sand into soil that will grow food" (Mckibben 95). We are fast approaching definite physical boundaries. If this continues we will still be able to provide food, but we will just provide it at a much slower rate than the rapid growth. Therefore, human beings must act exceptionally fast to solve this dilemma. In conclusion, environmentalists have a more valid point because humanity is on the brink of destruction, due to rapid population growth rate. The human population is vastly dependent on the earths resources. Perhaps, they are awaiting a significant catastrophe to befall them so that they can act. The contemporary societies need to come together and make smarter choices for the sake of the planet. There might be a need for a complete overhaul of human activities, in order to solve the problem. This paper serves as a wake-up call and an eye opener to human beings to come together in their environs, so as to foster sustainable development for the future generations. Works Cited Birch, Alston. "As Humans Send Earth Toward Extinction." The Extinction of the Dinosaurs and the threat of Human Extinction. New York: Custom, 1993. Print. Mckibben, Bill. A Special Moment in History." Actively Reading Our World. New York: Custom. 1993. Print. Wilson, E. O. "Is Humanity Suicidal?" Actively Reading Our World. New York: Custom, 1993. Print. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words, n.d.)
Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words. https://studentshare.org/sociology/1788416-environmental-paper
(Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction Literature Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction Literature Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words. https://studentshare.org/sociology/1788416-environmental-paper.
“Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction Literature Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”. https://studentshare.org/sociology/1788416-environmental-paper.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Threat of Resource Depletion and Human Extinction

Specific Actions Should Christains Take in Regards to the Environment and Its Preservation

In that aspect, the following paper will analyze the responsibilities of Christians and what they should do to preserve and protect the environment for depletion and degradation.... The beginning environmental depletion and degradation could date back to the early industrialization periods that emerged in Europe and, which spread to other countries of the world.... Christians therefore should work hard and in conformity to the Biblical ordinances to ensure protection and maximum respect of wild animals that are in the verge of extinction....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Economical and Environmental Consequences of Overfishing

It is worth noting, with interest, that all forms of life are interdependent and that extinction of one form of life threatens the survival of the rest of the ecosystem either directly or indirectly.... This occurs after the extinction of one or more species that depend on the other for survival, which means that extinction of one or more fish species will adversely affect other sea species or even cause their extinction too....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Bushmeat Crisis in a Particular Country: Uganda, Africa

If the Bushmeat crisis continues in Uganda, it is likely to lead to the extinction of both of these Great Ape species, in Africa and all over the world.... Nearly, half of the primate species in the world are presently threatened with eminent extinction (Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, 2009).... nbsp;The loss of habitats through human means, like logging, has drastically and negatively affected native species already endangered.... There are great number of reasons why the Bushmeat crisis is truly a threat to ecosystems, habitats, endangered primate and Great Ape species, as well as, human beings....
4 Pages (1000 words) Admission/Application Essay

Causes of Global Warming

Global warming causes real and measurable effects and the greatest contributor to global warming is human activities that continue to exploit nature.... hellip; In essence, global warming refers to the rising of the average temperature in the atmosphere of planet earth that may result from human causes or from natural causes (Haldar 10).... Causes of global warming According to research, the human population has created a significant imbalance between living and planet earth in which the result has been the occurrence of natural disasters reported over the past a hundred years....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Scarce Resources Article

On an article… r Reuters (Chestney), it was highlighted that with the speedy depletion of such resources arose problems such as hunger, conflict, social unrest, and species extinction. Furthermore, the aforementioned problems will sprout more dilemma for the whole world; “hunger due to food Scar and Fast Depletion of Resources Is a Cause for Global Alarm Scar and Fast Depletion of ResourcesIs a Cause for Global Alarm As a generally accepted fact, resources will always prove to be scarce in addressing the needs and wants of the whole world....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

How anxieties around ecological emergency are directly related to science and/or technology

For instance, James Horward narrated that the increased oil prices and the threat of diminished extraction of the resource following the extinction of wells as an indication that all factors dependent on oil may come to a halt.... The narration on the Times New York Magazine asserts a course incremental to the uncertain ty of the earth's future following the extinction of necessary resources.... The movie and the article indicate that the continued use of untamed technological approaches is certainly consequential to the extinction of human lives....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Signs of Climate Change

Global warming was a term that was first used in 1975 by American scientist Wallace Smith Broecker who discovered that the climate of the earth is warming consistently due to various human activities.... Manmade chemicals like halocarbons, CFCs, HCFCs, freon and halon contribute largely to the depletion of the ozone layer.... Due to the increasing concentration of the refrigerants, solvents and propellants in the atmosphere, the ozone layer is under depletion of the rate of four percent per decade....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Why Japan should be allowed to continue whaling

Unlike the international community that views whales as mammals that need to be protected from extinction, the Japanese view whales as fish (Miller, & Dolsak, 2007).... It ensures that the Japanese maintain their culture, by passing it to the new generations.... Whaling also ensures that the country maintains a local source of protein, which leads to… Being secure of such ensures the healthy growth of the community as they access, the proteins easily, and at an affordable rate....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us