Power, wealth, and security are inextricably linked to what our Earth provides us and how we treat the planet that sustains us. In the sixteenth century, power and wealth revolved around trade, with the nations of Europe (the global superpowers of the day) racing to establish reliable and quick trade routes with India, China, and Japan. The search for the Northwest Passage to circumvent South America and sail directly to Asia began in the early sixteenth century and continued until the beginning of the twentieth, when, in 1906, Roald Amundsen, the famous Norwegian explorer, sailed a dangerous, iceberg-cluttered route from...

Growth in human population and resource use rates is undeniable. In this chapter, I document those rates and the global momentum behind increases in standard of living and population growth. Although the numbers for population growth are solid and available, the rates of resource use, habitat destruction, and other human activities contribute as much to the cumulative impact of humans on Earth. But because it is difficult to account for their exact impacts on the environment, resource use rates are emphasized here. For example, calculating how much environmental damage each gallon of oil burned will cause depends on numerous factors,...

Global increases in population and resource use are creating a shock wave that is ripping through the global environment supporting humanity. Just as a large explosion creates a shock wave that carries the explosion’s power far from a detonation site, momentum of resource use rates is extensive and has spread to all parts of Earth, even those far from human habitation. Such broad global impact is unique in human history. Human changes to the environment are occurring at such a large scale and with so much momentum that reversing them will take at least de cades, but probably centuries, even...

In many parts of the world, urban areas are almost completely devoid of native plants; gardens, whether commercial or personal, are planted with species bred by humans for show or hardiness under polluted conditions. On the Hawaiian Islands, which once contained numerous unique species that evolved there, human-caused species introductions and habitat destruction have made it so almost all plants and animals there now are nonnative. All other areas inhabited by humans are experiencing similar issues to varying degrees. Today, native species around the world are either endangered or already extinct. We are close to losing some of the iconic...

We will have to work together as a global society to control our impacts on the planet; individuals, businesses, and societies only looking out for themselves without considering the global implications of their actions have bought us to where we are now. Social scientists and biologists have conducted considerable research on cooperation. This research bears directly on how humans will achieve the global cooperation required to sustainably inhabit Earth. Keeping in mind the tendencies toward resource use discussed already, how might we overcome some negative aspects of human behavior with regard to environmental issues and excessive resource use?

Game theory...

People use far more than they need for survival and reproduction, leading to tremendous rates of resource use in developed countries and a disproportionate burden on the global environment exacted by the wealthy. Because the root behavioral causes of resource overuse shape the relationship between humans and the global environment, considering the roots of behavior is essential for the development of successful educational programs, as well as the establishment of policy to minimize global environmental impacts.

Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University is the father of sociobiology and one of the leading biologists of our time. He has established fundamental...

We cannot predict with absolute certainty what our future world will be like. Many possible scenarios exist, but it is impossible to continue to increase our total population and environmental impact indefinitely. Given the tremendous momentum of global environmental problems, humanity could be headed for some rough times if the trends documented in this book continue unabated. Earth’s capacity to sustain us is finite. We know that our total population and resource use must be controlled; the question is how.

It will take decades, if not centuries or more, to mitigate the negative impacts of humans on the capacity of...

A quote from Woody Allen provides a caricature of environmentalists from those who would prefer to ignore our problems: “More than at any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”¹

I prefer the inspirational view of Nobel Prize winner Wangari Matthai, as expressed in her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. Matthai is Kenya’s most celebrated environmentalist and an advocate for democracy and human rights. She established the Green Belt Movement, which encourages farmers (mostly...

Evidence presented in this book overwhelmingly illustrates that global environmental impacts have momentum that puts us on a collision course with Earth’s ability to support us. The environmental catapult imparts momentum that supersedes individuals, single nations, or a generation of people. All major indicators of our global footprint—human population, economic activity, water use, energy use, global greenhouse gases, and global pollution—are increasing exponentially.

In chapter 1, I noted the contradiction between the following observations:

1. The best predictor of future behavior of large groups of people is prior behavior: cultural trends have inertia in part because they are driven...