Numerous angles and views have emerged around this pertinent and controversial topic. Some say that there is a tipping point, a point of no return when the ecological crisis becomes irreversible. Some say we have reached that point already. Some espouse the view that human ingenuity and innovation will prove unconquerable and that green science and eco-friendly technology will be our panacea. Others believe in the Gaia hypothesis; that the earth is a living organism, able to regulate itself and inherently capable of maintaining the equilibrium necessary to support life. Some insist that there is no ecological crisis at all and that it is simply a tool used by the powers that be to exert control though fear and hysteria. I can stomach all of these views (some with a spoon of salt), but what vexes me to no end are those who are aware of the imminent crisis, but quietly ignore it, and persist with their unsustainable ways. Make no mistake: many are in denial!

In my view there are several possible outcome scenarios, and no way of knowing which will transpire, and when. Either there is no remedy, and our world will gradually become less hospitable, our lives harder, our skin thicker and our bellies emptier; OR nature (which includes a species called humanity) will find a solution. If you subscribe to the Gaia theory, think about how a planet’s inbuilt regulation mechanisms would actually work. For a start as the world becomes hotter, environments become more verdant and abundant, frozen wastelands become lush forests (but then again lush forests become sweltering wastelands). There is probably also a mechanism programmed into the ecosystem which says: ‘When a species becomes prolific enough to pose a threat to the overall planet, that species will, by necessity, engage in some kind of globalisation, which will in turn ensure that every species is present in every part of the world. This would mean that, even if an environment becomes intolerable for its indigenous flora, other species from warmer climes could potentially adapt to inhabit it. So essentially there is hope, but at the same time I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of humanity being replaced by the cockroach as the earth’s most influential species.

Whether you’re stuck in an office struggling to come up with marketing strategies, or waiting in an crawling queue for some menial, but essential commodity such as toilet paper, remember to take a step back. Realise that you are but a minute molecule standing on an orb in an endless void. Realise that your daily tribulations are in fact utterly meaningless. This realisation may seem grim and disheartening, but it can also be uplifting to know that whatever you’re stressing over is, in the greater scheme, utterly inconsequential.

Mike Whyle

Deputy New Media Editor @ Grocott's Mail