When We Run Out of These Four Things, the Human Race is Doomed
As the planet’s population expands and our lust for consumption reaches new heights, some of the raw materials needed for our very survival are running low…
Let’s face it; we’re squeezing our planet dry. We’re wringing every last drop of goodness and sustenance out of the soil in the pursuit of profit and in the name of greed. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the expanding world population with its resulting emissions and drain on resources will have a profoundly negative impact on the way we live our lives.
Indeed, this realisation has already led some billionaires to look to space for a way out, and it’s hard not to imagine them plotting their escapes in say, 30 years’ time from a burning planet where the rainforests have all been chopped down, and floodwaters are inundating our homes.
Prince William recently railed against the trend towards ditching our home planet in favour of a move to more cosmic living alternatives, stating that “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.”
A noble sentiment indeed, but perhaps Elon, Richard and Jeff have a point? In their defence, we’re seriously collectively running out of some very important resources central to our survival as a species on this planet. Without these resources, life on earth simply cannot carry on as normal.
Soil
According to environmental charity the WWF, years of mismanagement have led to a complete erosion in the quality of over 50% of the world’s topsoil. This nutrient-dense layer of minerals and organic matter is essential for growing crops and can take 500 years to form naturally so it’s not hard to see that with a growing population but diminishing levels of topsoil, food production is going to become an increasingly fraught issue.
Water
You’ve probably heard the stats. 70% of the world’s surface is covered in water but only a tiny percentage of that is freshwater that humans can use for basic survival purposes like drinking, washing and cooking. Most of this is locked up in frozen ice caps and permanent snow cover, and even though this is melting quickly due to climate change, it has been suggested that by 2025, close to 2 billion of the world’s population will be living in areas where there is water scarcity. The water wars are upon us.
Helium
Yes, sucking in a load of helium and talking in a squeaky voice is hilarious. But did you know helium is actually an extremely important ingredient in lots of common household items? Because it has the lowest boiling point of any material of Earth, it’s coveted for the production of things like MRI magnets, fibre optics and LCD screens. While a lack of helium may not be as immediately devastating as say running out of H2O, it’s the only element on the planet that is a completely nonrenewable resource and it is used in the manufacture of important medical equipment and many other things we need to maintain the standard of living we’ve all come to expect. Think twice then, about that comedy voice routine at your next kid’s party.
Phosphorous
Essential to the production of matches, more worryingly, without phosphorous plants cannot grow. The problem is that phosphate rock is only found in a small handful of countries, including the US, China and Morocco. As the Earth’s population expands with billions more hungry mouths to feed, the boffins at the Global Phosphorus Research Initiative predict we could run out of phosphorus in 50 to 100 years unless new reserves of the element are found. Coupled with the diminishing levels of topsoil available to farmers, we could be looking at a crisis on a biblical level unless we discover new deposits of phosphate.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard not to get the feeling that the world is teetering on the brink. What’s even sadder is that we’ve known about these problems for years, yet successive governments have failed to do anything. Once these resources are well and truly depleted, it’s likely to be “all aboard” the space rockets for the lucky few, and a vivid descent into a hellishly changed world for the rest of us. We can only hope science and common sense come to our rescue in the meantime.
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