While catastrophic flooding is going on in the southeastern United States and deadly fires rage in Australia, resulting in the death of millions of marsupials and other species, it feels like much of the world is sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the next catastrophe. Scientists have been warning us for decades about melting ice caps and the consequences it is having on our oceans, our land, and our air. Disasters are happening more frequently and causing greater and greater damage. Some cities that have been established along coast lines are being forced inland as water rises. Many people are being forced to move either because they have lost their home, or because it is in an area that will be transformed by these events sooner than later.
Human beings were once hunter gatherers. They moved about like many grazing animals do, without causing great distress to the land. This allowed for the soil and the flora to replenish itself before it was grazed again. Moving about is still a strong urge in many people. It is in our DNA. This is why the automobile has become entrenched into most human societies and why airplanes have become a common means of travel. I am certain that this is also the push that gives others a passion to explore outer space. While not everyone has a great desire to travel, if we are to continue to camp out in the same area for centuries, we must learn how to do so sustainably in order to impact the land as gently and responsibly as we can.
Some retired seniors have discovered that living in an RV and travelling about is to their liking. The emerging popularity of tiny houses and the concept of downsizing is a step towards a more sustainable future. These choices alone, of course, will not solve all of our problems. The biggest problem is that we are too many people living on a small planet. As long as we live in denial of this fact, we will continue on this downward spiral, possibly towards another great extinction.
