The Analysis of the Blue Marble
Throughout history, there has been tremendous progress made on the part of mankind. We, as a species, have been able to tame fire, learn to hunt, survive in extreme conditions, and use our resources to their fullest potential. But do we overuse our resources? I strongly believe that we, as a population, do overuse our resources. This is an issue, which we must now face as we head into the next millenium, for it is there, which we will find the answer to the future. Never has more alarm been raised about the peril that the Earth is in. Some choose to ignore it, most notably Julian Simon as far as this paper is concerned, while others, most notably Norman Myers, speak out against it, imploring the population of the planet to listen. Listen to the sounds of a planet that is overburdened, overused, and overheated. One can only wonder how much more our great Blue Marble can take. I don't believe that it can endure much more. One cannot deny the fact that more and more people are inhabiting the Earth every year. This is indisputable. However, the question is, what type of effect does this have on the Earth? Well, for one, more people leads to overpopulation, which in some places on the plane
In conclusion, I strongly feel that Norman Myers has made a stronger argument than Julian Simon, and his facts are much more relevant when discussing the future of the Earth. Mankind does overuse the resources of the Earth. Simon makes a valid argument for his theory, but I don't believe that he takes into account the future limitations of natural resources and the vast changes that life on Earth will go through. Norman Myers does this, and his theory is the one which I strongly support. The evidence is stronger in my opinion that the world's rate of consumption must be slowed down if our species is going to be able to exist on Earth forever. There are hundreds of conservation committees and groups which try to save the forests, oceans, rainforests, and rivers, but how successful can they be without the support of the world behind them? There will come a time when the people of Earth realize what their way of life is leading to, and they will have to change. The sooner they realize this, the less painful it will be for everyone involved, especially the Earth. Hopefully, they don't come to this conclusion too late. On the contrary, Norman Myers is thinking more about the future. For example, he states he has written over thirty papers on mass extinction, and these deal mainly with "hot spots" on the Earth, where one fifth of all species on Earth are confined to 0.5 percent of the Earth's land surface (Myers, 24). Myers also claims that 30,000 species are being lost every year, which has been backed up by several credible scientists in the Club of Earth, whose professional credentials are beyond question (Myers, 16). This is horrifying! When a species is gone, it's gone forever. Who knows what is being lost with each species that disappears from our planet? The cure for AIDS? A cure for cancer? The fact that there are "hot spots" on the Earth, as far as species are concerned, is extremely relevant for the future predictions, because these are the areas being affected today that were not being devastated 50 years ago. The rainforests in Brazil and Africa are some of these "hot spots" and each day, more and more of these vital areas are being lost because local farmers are struggling to make a living. Myers, Norman & Simon, Julian (1994). Scarcity or Abundance. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2714
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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