As Earth's average temperature is rising at an alarming rate, climate change can slowly cause the end of humankind. The temperature rise is due to the outcomes of human activities, such as drilling for fossil fuels and mass manufacturing production, which produces heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The trapping of heat via greenhouse gases is known as the “greenhouse effect,” according to NASA, “The process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface.” As a result, scientists and researchers have identified six tipping points that could be the subject of terminating humanity.
Human activity has accelerated the rates and process of extinction. These human activities include hunting, habitat destruction, the introduction of invasive species, and other contributions that affect the animal kingdom. As a result, the actions of humanity disrupt ecosystems since they depend on the interconnections among species to thrive.
However, the acceleration of species extinction affects humans because most of us need animal-source protein to stay alive and thrive. Therefore, we need to develop more plant-based protein or other protein alternatives.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, “Scientists agree that today’s extinction rate is hundreds, or even thousands, of times higher than the natural baseline rate.”
Groundwater found in aquifers is essential for agriculture and the two billion people who depend on it as a source of drinking water. Nevertheless, the rate of groundwater depletion is faster than it can naturally recover; therefore, this is a severe dilemma because of our dependence on groundwater.
As a result, water-conserving strategies and implementing them in everyday life is essential to conserve water for other vital purposes. These solutions can be utilizing rain barrels, taking shorter showers, and installing water-conserving home appliances.
Since Earth is becoming warmer due to climate change, glaciers are melting. Glaciers are crucial for freshwater, which many countries and local communities need. In addition, several arctic wildlife and other species depend on glaciers for survival. Moreover, the melting of glaciers can pose a health concern to humanity and ecosystems because ancient pathogens are becoming rediscovered. According to The Guardian, “Climate change is predicted to alter the range of existing species, potentially bringing new hosts into contact with ancient viruses or bacteria.” Thus, melting glaciers is a potential threat to the ecosystem, which would relate to humanity.
As reported by WWF, “Even if we significantly curb emissions in the coming decades, more than a third of the world’s remaining glaciers will melt before the year 2100. When it comes to sea ice, 95% of the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic is already gone.”
Space debris from satellites, rocket parts, and untracked debris can cause collisional catastrophes, which may cause Earth’s orbit to become “unusable.” The possible unusability of Earth is described as the Kessler Syndrome, “a phenomenon in which the amount of junk in orbit around Earth reaches a point where it just creates more and more space debris.” The untracked debris can endanger communication and navigation connections if it collides with a satellite.
The globe is getting hotter, and the culprit for this is climate change. As a result, temperatures will rise, and there will be more severe heatwaves. The heat will make some places uninhabitable and threaten the future of humanity.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared that 2023 was Earth’s hottest year recorded.
Weather-related catastrophes and phenomena have soared over the years. Therefore, many people buy life insurance for safety. Insurance companies are making insurance expensive, which leaves some communities and families without a safety net because of the cost.
Climate change is endangering the livelihoods of life on Earth. So, as a collective global population, we need to take action to reverse climate change. These actions do not need to be complex; they can be as simple as eating less meat or using less water. However, the outcome of our collaborative actions will have a significant impact on preserving Earth for generations of life to come.
