State of the World

The State of Planet Earth The state of our planet is the state of our future, for we are not only born of Earth but interdependent with it in ways we are only just beginning to know. For too long humans have taken for granted the idea that anything we did- or could do- to our planetary home would have no lasting effects, and certainly little effect on us. But the converging effects of human technology, population, and attitudes has spawned tremendous change at the level of the planet itself in the form of climate change and global warming, and humans are currently causing a sixth major extinction among the millions of species of Earth. This is a scale and rapidity of change that was not foreseen by humanity- even now most humans are probably unaware of the degree of threat to their survival and that of future generations. Many experts on sustainability believe that Homo sapiens must alter their behavior in order to maintain the supportive ecosystem that humans rely on. While we may argue over what and how humans should change to create a sustainable future, it seems clear that we must understand how and why we have changed the Earth, what the consequences of our actions have been in the past, and what they are likely to be in the future. Only by understanding the consequences of our actions can we make good decisions in the present, about the future. This page is a step towards documenting the current state of the planet and human interactions with it. It is far from complete but we hope it will help open the doorway for greater human understanding of our critical place in the web of life here, and lead to conscious choices toward a sustainable world.

Readings and links: The Earth Charter An absolutely beautiful and stirring reminder that there are key principles that can help to insure our own survival and that of our planetary ecology. The Earth Charter Campaign. Excellent background, activities, and support of the Earth Charter. Current State of the Planet This page will eventually include links and resources to the current state of the planet in terms of : earth and space sciences (from asteroids to volcanoes), earth ecosystems and environmental issues, human populations, diseases and health problems, evolutionary issues, and the state of human societies and their problems and potentials. Thoughts and predictions on the future Wisdom for the future This page under construction--Please contact us if you would like to help organize or contribute to it: contributing@global-dialog.org