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What Does Our Future Hold?

Addressing the Requirements of a Sustainable Future and What Will Happen If We Don't Meet Them

By Patrick WilsonPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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What does our future hold?

Humanity is at its peak of development. We live in the age of advancement, whether it's space travel, cancer treatment, or virtual reality. With such an exponential growth of wealth and technologies, one must wonder, what does our future hold?

The short answer is, unfortunately, widespread death and destruction. Unless we change, and we change quickly:

Sea levels will rise and flood islands and coastal countries/areas, especially those under sea level like the Netherlands, Bangladesh, or New Orleans. If the rising sea levels don't get these places, the more frequent, widespread, severe, and unpredictable tropical storms will.

Countries will suffer droughts from a hotter world, causing failed crops, evaporation of bodies of water, and more dust in the atmosphere, leading to thunderstorms.

Chemical, organic, and nuclear waste will pollute water sources and arable land, leading to deficits in necessities.

Acid rain will erode buildings and vegetation.

And that is only to name a few inevitabilities. So, how can we stop this and make a sustainable future for humankind? While you may not be happy to hear this, here are a few of the things we can collectively do to help Mother Nature:

Stop eating rice.

Rice farming produces tons (literally) of methane, a potent greenhouse gas 200x stronger than Carbon Dioxide.

Go vegan.

Cattle farming also produces insane amounts of methane, a gas responsible for 28 percent of all global warming. Also, it takes much more space to farm cattle than farm crops, and is much more wasteful. Approximately 1700 litres of water are required for one kg of wheat, whereas over 8000 litres are required for one kg of meat.

Stop using cars.

Cars make up for about 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as petrol cars causing acid rain and poor air quality.

Recycle

This means more than milk cartons. All old plastic products must be recycled for a sustainable future. Over 150 million tons of plastic are in our oceans—equal to the weight of about three billion people. To make matters worse, another eight million tons of plastic enter the seas annually.

Reduce unrecyclable waste.

Waste that isn't recycled goes to landfills, which we all know will run out. In fact, the UK is reported to run out of landfill sites in eight years.

Fund development projects in low-income countries.

80 percent of all plastic wasted is in developing countries, as naturally, when struggling to put food on the table, recycling plastic bottles is the least of one's worries.

So. Where's the good news? Despite the current problems we face, there is some good in the world. The three pillars for a sustainable future are as follows.

Economy: Having the best interest for the economy is essential for sustainable projects, as it is the foundation of modern society, and without money, there is no incentive to get things done.

Environment: Looking after nature is imperative for our future. This includes protecting forest covers, the water cycle, the air, and everything else natural. As we rely on these for survival, it's in our best interest to keep them in consideration.

Social: This is keeping the people happy, and having their best interest at heart.

Pillars of Sustainability

If we protect the needs of the environment, economy and social wellbeing, sustainability is achieved.

And here's the good news: Thereis still some good in the world, and some of it is making it a better place to live in. Here are some of the projects doing just that:

Sweden's Incinerator

About four of Sweden's household rubbish goes to landfills; the rest is burned in 99 percent non-toxic incinerators that provide heating to 20 percent of the country.

India's Forests

India is one of the fastest developing and growing countries in the world and has made a footprint, including owning the most polluted city in the world, Delhi, and the most polluted river in the world, the river Ganges. Although, surprisingly, thanks to government funding, India's forest cover has started to regenerate.

Plastic Banks

The plastic bank is a globally recognised way to stop ocean plastic. Based in developing countries, the organisation employs people to collect plastic, which is then sold to big companies like Shell, making a small profit. Approximately 1 one kg of plastic is worth about $0.50.

HM The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) is a unique network of forest conservation initiatives, which involves all 52 countries of the Commonwealth. It plans to raise awareness, create conservation schemes, and share information and technology regarding the conservation of forests.

These projects are beneficial to the environment, economy, and society, therefore sustainable. Does this mean we, as humans, can become sustainable?

A sustainable future is possible, and if we act cooperatively and as one body, we can create a safe world for the generations to come. To do this, we need your help. Do your part, and raise awareness.

Many thanks to David Katz for inspiration.

activism
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