Essay Example on the Greatest Threat to Humanity

Humanity is at a juncture of crises that are facing it from all directions. It is imperative that as we live every day in this world, we should never forget and hope for the future generations that are yet to come. Indeed, we should not only be focusing on the coming generation in the next hundred years but also the generation that is to come thousands of years into the future (Bunzi 123). The use of "hope" in this context has taken into account the existential risks that are existent every day and that are ever threatening to wipe humanity off the face of the earth. The risks not only consider the huge global disasters that take place all around us such as; floods, volcano eruptions, and earthquakes, other disasters have the potential of ending history (Pollard 24). This paper is aimed at identifying the greatest risks to humanity and the ways to save society from these threats.

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The biggest threat to humanity is humanity itself. Everything we do in this world has a consequence. In the ever-increasing discussion and subject through the media about ever-increasing humanity and society's stupidity and violence, it is a wonder that we are still in existent (Balserak 75). To some extent, some may say that our existence is primarily a consequence of nature's mercies. Many scientists have discussed how to some extent the world would be a better place without humanity. This essentially means that rather than being a threat to humanity in general, we have extended our behaviors and ways of living to threaten the existence of the world in general (Bartolini 104).

Many discussions bring out humanity to mean the world in general; however, these are different entities altogether although there are a few similarities that may lead to this confusion. Humanity's destruction means the watering down of humanity and society's morals and ideas that make the world a better place to live in (Pollard 163). The watering down of these ideals is the reason why the earth, in general, is facing extinction. Humanity is humanity's biggest enemy (Bartolini 12). Human activity in today's world has increasingly had an effect in shaping the planet's future. Development and the invention and innovation of new technologies have been created that are causing a change in humanity and the world as we know it (Bunzi 197). In a funny twist, these technologies are also being used to come up with new ways and techniques for dealing with humanity's problems or at least mitigate their effects.

Technology has had an effect on humanity especially since the start of the agricultural and industrial revolution (Balserak 149). Initially and as history teaches us, the world was a simple place with simple problems affecting it. Diseases, wars, and natural disasters were the major threats to humanity's existence at the time. People lived off the lands, working on farms and spending less time in industries to meet their everyday needs (Bartolini 124). In the recent past, humanity has been dealing with a myriad of issues that are mostly self-made. Lifestyle diseases, terrorism, and world wars are some of the threats to humanity that can all be attributed to human activities. In today's world, in particular, everyone is living in fear of going to the hospital and getting tested for a disease that has no cure as yet such as cancer, and Aids (Pollard 93). We have lost many able-bodied persons through lifestyle diseases that as the name suggests are created by the lifestyles we live. Certain theorists and idealists have argued that these diseases are curable, a fact that has been known for a while. However, they are being used to create a market for pharmaceutical companies and other research facilities (Bunzi 237). Although it is difficult to prove, it just shows the extent to which humanity cares little about humanity. The society we live in is a "man eat man society" (Pollard 77).

The risks of the future remain unknown, uncertain, and have been understudied. There has been a discussion of an impending apocalypse (Balserak 203). Humanity through religion identifies that the world is ending but when it is ending remains the problem (Bartolini 180). Over millennia, humanity has believed in the apocalypse and as such, lives a powerless life not trying to solve any problem that they may be facing as they see each issue as a symbol of the impending doom. As such, the erosion of society's morals and living in an unethical manner that considers a part of the society is better than the other is an issue of concern (Balserak 208). For instance, the disparity that exists among different people within their different strata of society is rather unethical. In developing countries, for instance, the poor live in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. Lack of necessary amenities such as toilets and bathrooms with raw sewerage passing in the streets is a common everyday way of life for these people. Worse still, the young ones growing up in these conditions will all but end up in the sorry state because there was no way of getting out of the sorry state (Pollard 88).

The global warming phenomenon that seems to be what will, in the end, be the end of us is getting more airplay every day. Everywhere you go, it is impossible not to find a group of people learning about the impending global phenomenon whose effects are appearing every day. The worst part about the global warming and climate change menace is that it can all be attributed to humanity in whatever they do in their day to day lives (Bunzi 342). Discussions about the global warming menace elicit mixed reactions especially because everyone is aware of the guilt they carry for how it is ever evolving to become a huge menace and an issue of concern. Deforestation, use of fossil fuels, synthetic fertilizer usage in farms, livestock farming, and industrial processes are the major factors that have led to the rise in global warming (Balserak 129). The human activities have a huge amount of gases which collects in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is not supposed to collect this heat but is formed in such a way that it emits the heat. However, with the heat of the sun, much of the gases (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, fluorinated gases, nitrous oxide, water, and methane) are heated and gets absorbed into the atmosphere as heat which in the long run, increases the amount of unwanted gases in the atmosphere. With the increasing temperatures of the earth due to global warming, the earth might not be inhabitable (Pollard 137). Humanity will have to find other ways of living or die with the earth altogether. It might be a way of the earth getting rid of unwanted material (humanity); however, the speed at which the whole issue is taking place can all be traced back to human activity.

Society should not allow the world to be eaten up by humanity's stupidity and lack of general concern. It is imperative that we safeguard the earth as it is our only home until when scientists identify for us a new one who is getting impossible every day. Being the cleverest species in the world with the most sophisticated brains, we are behaving like cave dwellers. Worst of all, we are transferring our destructive nature to our children (Bunzi 301). We are showing them that nothing matters, not humanity, nor the world at large and that they should live in this world like it is never going to end. We have failed to take into account the future generations and are also teaching the young generation to live like tomorrow will never come. Ideally, religion has taught us that we should not care for tomorrow because it is God's rather, we should live for today (Balserak 191). Should we, therefore, let the world crumble because God will take care of tomorrow? Society should rise from its slumber and realize that the future will be determined by today and live a life that will have a meaningful impact not just for the world and the earth, but also in the morality and ethics of the future generations.

Although much of the discussion especially towards the end has largely focused on the end of life itself, it is important to look at humanity from the social perspective. The study has mentioned the importance of differentiating humanity's threat in the scientific sense and the humanity threat in the social setting. However, it should be noted that the destruction of humanity through science and in essence the end of the world will be created by the humanity's social erosion and destruction (Bunzi 82). What we do in the world is created by our subconscious minds and its regard for the world and humanity. What we teach each other and how we live together in this world has a huge impact on what we do in our day to day lives. Society has a huge role to play in ensuring that morals and ethics are taught at an early age. Ensuring that we view everyone as important and plan our lives for the betterment of not just ourselves but society as a whole, we will have moved closer towards saving humanity from itself (Bartolini 152).

In conclusion, the greatest threat to humanity is humanity itself (Bartolini 42). How we live and relate with one another has a huge impact on our lives and the world in general. It is important to identify that we found this world better than it is today and although we have made changes that may have impacted the world negatively, we can still save humanity. There are natural elements that could lead to the end of humanity and the world in general as we know it, our activities should not be used as catalysts for these eventualities (Balserak 149). Indeed, if we can resolve to change how we live, how we regard each other, and how we look at the world in general, we can save humanity and live in a world that is better not just for us, but for the future generations that will come after us.

Works Cited

Balserak, Jon. "7. Humanity and new humanity." Very Short Introductions, 2016.

Bartolini, Franco. Saving Humanity. 2013.

Bunzl, John M. The Simultaneous Policy: An Insider's Guide to Saving Humanity and the Planet. New European, 2001.

Pollard, Jonni. The Golden Sequence: A Manual for Reclaiming Our Humanity. 2018.