Exactly how bad are world conditions? Are we really at the brink of a great global disaster? Although some scientists and politicians preach a hopeful message, many people still feel uncertain about the future. Why?
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. Despite their best efforts, the United Nations and other organizations have failed to bring about nuclear disarmament. Instead, defiant leaders scoff at arms-control laws. Countries with a history of nuclear weaponry are frantically upgrading their old bombs and creating new deadlier ones. Countries that once had no mass-destruction capabilities are now able to destroy huge swaths of humanity.
This unprecedented nuclear preparedness makes the world a very dangerous place, even in times of “peace.” “Lethal autonomous weapons systems that make ‘kill’ decisions without human input or supervision, for example, would be particularly worrisome,” warns the
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
OUR HEALTH UNDER SIEGE. Science can take us only so far when it comes to good health. High blood pressure, obesity, air pollution, and drug abuse—all risk factors for disease—are increasing. More people are dying from an array of noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes. Growing numbers are disabled by other diseases, including mental illness. And recent years have witnessed the unpredictable outbreaks of such dangerous epidemics as the Ebola virus and the Zika virus. The bottom line: Sickness is out of the control of humans, and the end of it seems to be nowhere in sight!
HUMAN ATTACKS ON NATURE. Factories continue to pollute earth’s atmosphere. Millions of people die every year from breathing contaminated air.
Individuals, communities, and government agencies continue to dump sewage, medical and agricultural waste, plastics, and other pollutants into the oceans. “These toxic pollutants poison marine animals and plants, as well as humans who eat contaminated sea life,” explains the
Encyclopedia of Marine Science.
And we are running out of fresh water. British science author Robin McKie aptly warns: “The world faces a water crisis that will touch every part of the globe.” Politicians admit that water scarcity is largely a man-made problem and that it poses a grave danger.
NATURE’S ATTACKS ON HUMANS. Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, and earthquakes bring about devastating floods, crushing landslides, and other types of destruction. More people than ever are killed or are otherwise adversely affected by these forces of nature. A study published by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration points to a greater potential for “more intense storms, deadly heat waves, and more extreme flood-drought cycles.” Will nature deal humankind a deathblow?
Surely you can think of other grave threats to our survival. Yet, you will not find satisfying answers about the future by analyzing all the bad things happening today. Some may say the same about listening to politicians and scientists.
Is the World out of Control?—Searching for Answers
Can humans address all these problems, since they are created to a large extent by man himself?
