The environmental crisis: The needs of humanity versus the limits of the planet

Abstract

CLIMBING UP THE MIGHTY HIMALAYAS to see the source of the Ganges. Walking the Tibetan plateau, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and hiking the Ngorongoro crater. Experiencing the Gran Sabana and lush Amazonia. Gliding through the Everglades and the Okavango delta. Chasing the aurora borealis and the aurora australis. These and other experiences are penned down in my list of places to go and things to do. They are places that remind me of the beautiful planet we inhabit, places that remind me of forces and processes that have existed for billions of years. They offer a spectacular and awe-inspiring window into a world, a symphony, that humanity is but a small part of, even though we are part of it nonetheless, perhaps even an integral part. We humans definitely did not construct or design this world, and this show of nature and natural events will continue well beyond our lifetimes. But for how much longer?.