As we focus on the political follies of men, there is an existential crisis is that continues unabated and ignored. We are in the last stages of killing life on our planet, Earth. A recent UN report states that humans have killed 83 percent of all wildlife on this planet. (Chickens are the most plentiful bird on the planet today) and 50 percent of all natural plant life is gone. The web of life is stressed and frayed.
This report predicts dire consequences for you and me and every sentient being on this planet. Humans are committing planetary suicide by degrees through petty political fighting and by ignoring the crisis because of our competitive, consumer-driven lifestyle.
In 1972, MIT programmed a computer model of our then current American lifestyle that has spread around the globe; it predicted the total collapse of planetary civilization by 2040. The model says we are on track; but, physical evidence points to a more rapid decline.
The climate crisis rages worldwide with ever hotter, longer droughts and fires, floods surpassing the 100 year mark time and time again; the world’s population continues to burgeon having doubled since 1970 to our current 7.7 billion people.
In a 1960s experiment with overcrowded mice showed two things: one; they stopped reproducing and two; they became cannibals. Without radical change (which doesn’t seem likely) we are dooming our children to very ugly deaths within the next 20 years.
Rather than abating, climate migration of desperate people moving from place to place seeking respite will increase; food and water will become scarcer; creating more regional wars over the remains.
We have no hope of stopping climate change, but, there is still time to slow and lessen the most violent weather effects to today’s levels. While we need commitment, we have a clown show for leadership, headed by a wanna-be dictator who sucks the oxygen from critical environmental conversations and diverts vital resources to the pockets of the one percent.
Is this going to be Americans’ answer to this existential crisis; send in the clowns? Oh, wait, they’re already here.