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  • Writer's pictureCristian Duque

The Human Influence on Earth

Updated: Jul 31, 2023



The Earth's existence dates back to around 4.5 billion years ago. The Homo Sapiens has only existed for less than 1% of that time. To put it into perspective, humans appeared in the last few seconds of midnight in a 24-hour timeline of Earth's history.

As soon as Homo sapiens appeared, they learned to use fire to dominate the animal kingdom and ensure survival in a wild era. Survival was the first instinct, as they had to adapt to an entirely new planet full of plants, animals, landscapes, and more. Humans began to form societies and divide tasks, such as hunting for men and farming for women. They established relationships in small groups and developed ways to communicate ideas without formal language. Small settlements allowed communities to be formed, and they began to apply agricultural practices.


As time passed, our population grew uncontrollably, and we started to break our natural and pure bond with nature and other species on Earth. Ancient wisdom teaches us that living in communion with nature is the key to a thriving life, but we have forgotten this fundamental lesson. We have become unattached to the planet and have developed a false belief that we are the centre of everything.


The industrial revolution further reinforced this idea, as we started to view nature as a resource to be exploited without considering the future. We fail to realize that Earth has survived for millions of years without humans, and we are just one species in the last few years of existence.


The planet will continue to exist for much longer, but it may not be suitable for humans due to our actions. We are driving ourselves towards imminent extinction, not because of an asteroid, but because of our destructive and unconscious behaviour.


Technology cannot solve this problem; we need to reconnect with Earth and live in harmony with it. Humans have also significantly impacted the animal kingdom, causing extinction, invasion, displacement, and endangerment of other species. We have forgotten that we are just one part of Earth and should live in balance with all other creatures.


The economy has changed our view of life, focusing on money, overconsumption, and limitless production to achieve instant gratification and pleasure. The Industrial Revolution was a turning point in the 19th century, allowing us to use machines to produce more by exploiting natural resources. However, this has led to an imbalance in the relationship between humans and Earth, with mass production to supply the growing population in terms of food, textiles, energy, and more.


Capitalism, limitless growth, globalism, and climate change are just some of the effects of our unsustainable behaviour. The exploitation of natural resources, such as water consumption, fossil fuels, deforestation, and CO2 emissions from transportation and industry, has contaminated the entire planet and caused global warming. It is time to consider our actions and impact on our home, Earth.


Ancient wisdom reminds us of our unbreakable connection with nature, and we must respect the natural flow of Earth, its diversity, and its resources that allow us to live longer on this beautiful planet. The next few decades will determine whether we choose to live in harmony with Earth or cause the extinction of our specie.


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