Our Only Home
Earth is the only home humanity has ever known.
It’s a humbling reminder that, in the grand scheme of things, we are but a tiny speck in the dark cosmic expanse of space.
And for the time being, we can call that tiny speck home.
Yet, as you are probably aware, many of our planetary life support systems are in deep decline:
- Diminishing rain forests which produce much of the oxygen we breath
- Dwindling polar ice sheets that keep our planet at a comfortable temperature by reflecting much of the sun’s energy back into space
- A more turbulent climate that wreaks havoc on food production and global political stability
- A current rate of species loss not seen for 251 million of years when over 96% of the species on Earth went extinct
Sounds dire, I know.
But there is hope…
The peril of Earth’s life support systems not only poses a threat to the natural environment, but to our civilization and way of life itself. Without a stable environment in which to live, work, and play, living, working, and playing become incredibly difficult.
However, notice the word I used above.
Hope.
Hope because, for now, it is only a threat. We’re not “doomed”, just at risk.
Our species has been threatened for thousands of years by natural predators, hostile neighbors, and disease. Yet, here we are. Alive and well. The only difference now is that the threat to our survival is no longer external — we are our own worst enemy.
But it’s not our fault.
The threat we face is our continued reliance on a set of antiquated human systems.
Our systems of transportation, energy generation, manufacturing, and food production, just to name a few, are outdated and in dire need of upgrading. These systems were built in a time when humanity’s footprint on the planet was negligible, and what we did paled in comparison to nature.
And you know what? That’s okay. Our species was still developing — teething — learning how to survive in the often harsh and dangerous world we call home.
However, now that we have matured, and there are over 7 BILLION of us on the planet, it is time to retire our wasteful systems of old, and bring forth something new.
The good news is that the systems that need to change are human systems. Humans made them, so humans can change them. After all, our species is incredibly resourceful and innovative.
However, the bad news is we may be running out of time.
As we are learning that our systems must not destroy, or even simply sustain our way of life, we are presented with a new path forward. A path that does not leave destruction, decay, and waste as byproducts, but instead a path where our systems make the planet, society, and economy healthy, resilient, and full of life.
A path of regenerative abundance.
