The human race as a viable evolutionary species is now in an existential race against environmental change that will make our very existence problematic, if not impossible. Living in the Anthropocene Age, so named because the human race is now the primary cause of environmental change on earth, we are left to quickly decide whether we care enough to attend to the problem, or can muster the political will, to even try for a photo-finish at the end of this race for survival against environmental change that is in the lead right now.
For too many of us, we only see the threats of climate change tangentially; a little warmer or colder, a little stormier, some changes in which plants or animals inhabit our little piece of the world. And there are those who would have us believe it is all just a big hoax to try to slow down the forward rush of free-market economics.
But the extinction of species is on the rise, not to mention that the ice is melting, the oceans are rising, islands are disappearing, and arable land is disappearing due to extreme heat. As a result, populations are migrating because of these changes while being prevented from moving north, stopped by national borders.
Meanwhile we continue using our energy and resources on national and ideological battlefields, focusing on competitions and confrontations, trying to determine who will be "Master of the World" while that world is becoming uninhabitable. We know that no one will come out completely dominant, and that while we bicker about power and control, our human survival becomes less viable. All of this is merely a distraction from the seriousness of the race.
The outcome of this race will determine whether we can survive as a viable species on this planet. We can only control two parts of this race. First, we can act to slow down the speed of the coming disaster. Second, we can speed up the necessary changes to make human survival more viable.
The only way for such solutions relies on several factors.
- That we see this as a problem for all human beings and recognize that either we all survive, or we become something other than a human race.
- That our resources, whether wealth, technology, or creativity, will only help if we work cooperatively, without regard to profit or control.
- That, individually we act with purpose and allow any leadership to arise from those actions, ending the traditional roles of leaders who focus on power and control, abuse and exploitation.
- The solutions we find must be sustainable and in harmony with the global web of life.
When it comes to global environmental change, threats are useless. There are no bargains that will work; there are no compromises that will work; there are no negotiations that will help. This is real and it is existential. Coming in second is not a viable option. The finish line will either spell the finish of a viable human species, or it will allow for a short reprieve, providing us with some additional time to continue making the necessary corrections.
This is a race for survival. It is too late to win. The best we can hope for is a tie. We thought for decades this was a marathon, but because of our procrastinations we are now too close to the finish line, and it requires an all-out sprint to hope to save ourselves.
Time is quickly running out. We must act now!
