I’m one of seven billion inhabitants on Planet Earth as it travels an elliptical orbit around a flaming star, the sun. Earth’s turning on its axis grants us day and night while its tilt allows for changing seasons.
Conveniently, earth’s orbit allows for the existence of both animal and plant life. The thin sliver of atmosphere, which surrounds the planet, keeps us alive.
Unfortunately we take all this for granted and continue to use earth’s for finite resources as infinite believing economic growth is unlimited and sustainable.
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The United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment by 10,000 scientists warned that “the ability of earth’s ecosystems to sustain human’s endeavours can no longer be taken for granted.”
In 1961 humans used half the biocapacity of our planet. By 2006 this had grown to 94 percent. By 2030 we’ll need another planet to sustain greedy industrial demands made on our earth. To quote words of a song: “We are guardians of the planet, we the people now alive.”
Unfortunately, we’re addicted to mindless consumerism and living beyond earth’s ecological means. We produce more wastes than our environment can absorb.
Our federal and provincial governments, denying climate change, support costly nuclear reactors knowing there’s no safe way to contain the radioactive waste. Oil, another culprit, uses massive quantities of precious water and leaves polluted ponds and threatens our rivers and aquifers. These governments are going hellbent for leather on a path that led to the collapse of past civilizations.
Earth’s inhabitants must work to preserve our unique status in the universe.
Joan Bell,
Saskatoon, Sask.
