Over Population, Over Consumption In Pictures
This was one of the most controversial posts last year on the Guardian and rightfully so. Look at this beautiful but thought provoking images. I picked my favourite images to share. Link to original article is below - must have a look at them!
Waves of humanity
Sprawling Mexico City rolls across the landscape, displacing every scrap of natural habitat ‘If our species had started with just two people at the time of the earliest agricultural practices some 10,000 years ago, and increased by one percent per year, today humanity would be a solid ball of flesh many thousand light years in diameter, and expanding with a radial velocity that, neglecting relativity, would be many times faster than the speed of light.’ Gabor Zovanyi Photograph: Pablo Lopez Luz
Feedlot
Industrial livestock production in Brazil‘Despite the industry’s spin, concentrated animal feeding operations are not the only way to raise livestock and poultry. Thousands of farmers and ranchers integrate crop production, pastures, or forages with livestock and poultry to balance nutrients within their operations and minimise off-farm pollution through conservation practices and land management. Yet these sustainable producers, who must compete with factory farms for market share, receive comparatively little or no public funding for their sound management practices.’ Martha Noble Photograph: Daniel Beltra/Greenpeace
British Columbia clear-cut
Sometimes called the Brazil of the North, Canada has not been kind to its native forests as seen by clear-cut logging on Vancouver Island‘Human domination over nature is quite simply an illusion, a passing dream by a naive species. It is an illusion that has cost us much, ensnared us in our own designs, given us a few boasts to make about our courage and genius, but all the same it is an illusion.’ Donald Worster Photograph: Garth Lentz
Trash wave
Indonesian surfer Dede Surinaya catches a wave in a remote but garbage-covered bay on Java, Indonesia, the world’s most populated island ‘Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.’ Jacques-Yves CousteauPhotograph: Zak Noyle
Oil wells
Depleting oil fields are yet another symptom of ecological overshoot as seen at the Kern River Oil Field in California‘I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress.’ Ed Begley, Jr.Photograph: Mark Gamba/Corbis
Reservoir development
Former old-growth forest leveled for reservoir development, Willamette National Forest, Oregon‘What an irony it is that these living beings whose shade we sit in, whose fruit we eat, whose limbs we climb, whose roots we water, to whom most of us rarely give a second thought, are so poorly understood. We need to come, as soon as possible, to a profound understanding and appreciation for trees and forests and the vital role they play, for they are among our best allies in the uncertain future that is unfolding.’Jim RobbinsPhotograph: Daniel Dancer
In the very long run, global population will only increase very slowly.
The 20th century saw the fastest growth in known history, from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 6 billion in 2000. Such rapid growth is not sustainable.
If you are interested in the topic, a Wikipedia article of human overpopulation offers further reading.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_overpopulation
Global population has significant impact on the living condition of people, and economy in general. Tomas Piketty’s book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, has a good summary of researches and statistics on the topic, in Chapter 2 Growth: Illusions and Realities.
https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Twenty-First-Century-Thomas-Piketty/dp/1491591617
thank you for sharing!! great links
in part this picture I'm happy and this picture looks alive.. nice picture :)
It is terrible what is happening in the little human consciousness and overpopulation
Indeed! Check out my other post - I touch on this topic :)
The best evidence indicates that power plants are the largest stationary source of
carbon emissions in the United States, and a major contributor to climate change.
Power plants have often been located near low-income neighborhoods and
communities of color. Air pollution from these plants contributes to health
problems, especially in the young and the elderly. These problems include:
increased risk of premature death and heart attacks; increased incidence and
severity of asthma; and other health effects. These standards would significantly
reduce carbon pollution from power plants; they would also reduce particle
pollution, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, which have been linked to
important human and environmental health problems.
couldn't agree more. unfortunately, humans only seem to change once their backs are against a wall without any other option. Begs the question...will it be too late?
So unreal! But it is...
It' so hard to imagine that people actually live and work in those places especially when you have the chance to live surrounded by forests and countless lakes and rivers.