The time is nearing for my only daughter to leave the house and seek her fit into the world. My heavy lone concern is the health of our dear Mother Earth that we are giving her.
Our human modernization of technology and way of life have caused enormous irreversible damage to her long-term well-being. Evolution recites that only the strong survive and Mother Nature will wreak havoc on the weak -- deeming them susceptible to ever-changing environments upon her. If the wits of humanity proceed as they have with minimal caution, I fear the worst for our race.
In 1804, our world reached 1 billion human inhabitants and as I sit here on this day in March 2021 the population nears 8 billion -- all the while human life has been here for roughly 200,000 years. Can we really allow our number to multiply 8-fold over the next 220 years? That’s an exponential growth that our planet cannot endure -- and evolution, while being tested with modern medicine and vaccines, will fight hard to sustain its mother and her dominance over us.
Now I am not calling for people to allow the growth of medicine to descend and permit sick humans to die simply to keep our sustenance here on earth -- that itself is inhumane. What I do call for is our scientists and lawmakers to create a worldwide council to institute a method of allowing our population to thrive on this planet. This subject has been taboo ever since I first began discussing and researching it only a few years ago. However, national political lines and worldwide religious beliefs are not immune to an over-consumed planet. We are all in this together, and I beg the world to unite for another 200,000 years.
I’m Josh Dettman, and that’s my perspective.
Josh Dettman is a Rockford native and a graduate of Northern Illinois University. He works as an analyst for Nicor Gas and is an avid golfer.
