The Ways the World Could End Swept Away

In the 500,000 years Homo sapiens has roamed the land. Weve built cities, created complex languages, and sent
robotic scouts to other planets. Its difficult to imagine it all coming to an end. Yet 99 percent of all species has gone
extinct. Human activity is severely disrupting almost all life on planet. At present we may worry about terrifying rate
of extinction which is, according to the statistics, 10,000 times the average in the fossil record. But the next statistic
on the list could be us.
Its always been thought about the end of the world in one way or another. Weve had a good run of it. Global
floods and divine retribution, world war and nuclear holocaust that can obliterate every inch of the planet, fatal
collision of the earth with a huge asteroid There is even a theory saying that robots will turn against us and take
the Earth over or bacteria-sized machines will spread like blowing pollen, replicate and reduce the biosphere to
dust. All of these are, or at some time have been prophesized as the potential end of the world. It will be a tragedy
that will engulf the entire planet and no one will escape. And while these doomsday scenarios haunt the deepest
parts of our mind, we cannot help wonder, how it might happen? The possibilities are endless and there are so many
angles to examine.
First is the scientific and astronomical view that the Earth will see its end after gamma-ray burst as a result of
two stars collapsed. The potent radiation would cook the atmosphere so that ultraviolet rays from sun would reach
the surface causing skin cancer and killing off plankton in the ocean that provide oxygen and bolster the bottom of
the food chain. Giant solar flares are also an issue to consider. The coronal mass ejections from the sun would
bombard Earth with a torrent of high-speed subatomic particles frying the Earth and disintegrating ozone layer.
Second is the religious view. The Bible contains many prophecies about the future. New Testament in particular
talks extensively about the second coming when Jesus Christ returns to this earth. He will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the
life of the world to come.
Third, from biological point of view there are those who believe that if earth doesnt do us in, our fellow
organisms might be up to the task. The Black Plague, influenza, the AIDS epidemics have already taken millions of
lives over the time. Pathogens and viruses develop new resistance to modern drugs and international travel means
that they may spread faster than ever. This group also includes psychological disorders causing mass insanity. By
2020 depression will likely be the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. Extended life span
may intensify the problem because 200 years of accumulated sensations will overload human brain leading to a new
kind of insanity or fostering the spread of doomsday cults.
Some of these scenarios may seem feasible enough. But I venture to quote Albert Einstein who said: only two
things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity. Focusing on the second part it may occur that humankind will
be the one who destroy the earth. We exploit natural recourses and extinguish species. As technology increases,
humans affect nature more as we create new species through genetic engineering. Products of this fast-developing
industry could get out of control and destabilize the stressed global ecosystem. There are many problems and treats
that nature encounters with such as: global warming, epidemic diseases, pollution, deforestation and nuclear
weapons these are the result of human activity. Luckily, through the thick haze of filth we cover our Earth with,
hope filters in. Titanic efforts are needed to prevent or at least delay the doomsday. Some well-known measures
include:
-reducing the development and production of weapons
- monitoring the new technological development
- identifying and neutralizing countries and individuals that present a potential danger
- restricting the overuse of natural resources by highly developed countries
- resisting the natural disasters
- better assistance to economically backward countries
- finding the agreement between different religious ideologies as well as changes in peoples customs and
traditions
- creating birth control programs
- working on close integration between countries in solving global problems, elimination of borders and armies
guarding them
We cannot continue with our wasteful way of life. Saving the esrth is not just about helping the cute and cuddly
panda bear, it is about us. We are the ones who created these problems, and we must be the ones to fix them.