Right now there is no issue as pressing as
what humanity is doing to the planet. Every other issue is trivial by
comparison. In a relatively very short time, our species is causing what
some call the "Anthropocene extinction." Reading this article on Wikipedia,
I see that the current rate of extinction is 10 to 100 times faster
than any of the previous recorded mass extinctions. It's impossible to
stress how serious this is. In our ignorance, we are causing great harm.
I know we are capable of more. Will we rise to the occasion?
My one pressing question right now--how do we wake humans up to our
unquestionable dependence on the living systems of the Earth? It's
really the most obvious fact but I think we get focused on trivialities
and social ego games. We get programmed by our cultures, many of which
don't consider the environment and our impact on it, at all. Look around
you. We see the extreme callousness with which humans treat the planet,
other species and each other. Enough harm has been done, a radical
shift is now absolutely necessary if we are to have a chance at survival
at all.