Life has existed on Earth for 3.6 billion years, and never has a single species had such a dramatic effect on the planet. 200,000 years ago, humans started shaping the world around them, felling trees, developing agricultural land and extracting the planet’s resources. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, development has accelerated exponentially and the demand for energy has increased the strain on natural resources.
Environmental destruction has also caused widespread pressure on natural habitats and, in turn, has led to the extinction of numerous species in the so-called Anthropocene Extinction Event.1
The battle between man and Earth
Now, in the 21st century, rising consumer demand for consumer goods, food and energy, coupled with a population that will increase from around 7.2 billion in 2014 to 9.0 billion by 2040, can only accelerate the strain on resources.2 Humans, however, are starting to fully understand the detrimental impact they are having on the world and are beginning to take action on a cause that so desperately needs to be addressed. Decades ago, such concerns were seen as the province of a vocal minority on the periphery of public opinion. Nowadays, issues such as climate change, leading to rising temperatures, strain on agricultural land, extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels, together with the depletion of natural resources, such as minerals and fossil fuels, are the subject of mainstream concern.
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