The apocalypse is inevitable. This is the ancient prophecy. What does modern humanity know about it? And is it known. But the same sources say about the size of the moment – a thousand years as one day, and one day as a thousand years. Also, knowledge does not exempt from responsibility. And this responsibility is borne by everyone living on earth. This is why today we are talking about ecological disasters. At different levels – natural, man-made. All of them.
The approaching apocalypse
The only things that do not depend on human activity are natural disasters: fires, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis. The consequences are enormous. An example? The eruption of Vesuvius in ’79, which became a central theme in one of Bryullov’s paintings. But of the whole range of environmental disasters, natural disasters account for only one-fifth. The conclusion is that the other four are man-made disasters that occur as a result of human activity. And these disasters happen every year, which allows us to draw another conclusion: the apocalypse is brought closer by man himself.
But few people think about it, immersed in everyday problems. To say that no one thinks about it would be wrong, since entire institutes are working on the problem. But how can the result of their labors be communicated to a person? Who, leading his child by the hand, does not think about the disaster that is hanging over our beautiful planet.
Today, closer than tomorrow, few people think of the apocalypse, nor do they think of global catastrophes whose consequences are irreversible.
The Reality of the Problem
The obvious reality is animal extinction. The IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) warns that up to a million different animal species (including insects) will become extinct in the coming decades. Most of this is due to human activity. To compare: over the past five hundred years, 844 plant and animal species have disappeared. So the problem is really becoming a global one.
It is not only about mammals, which are known to everyone today, some species of fish and insects are on the verge of extinction. And we have completely forgotten about many species of fauna. It is good if there is any mention of them. So the class of ancient animals was formed. Hunting, fishing, deforestation, development of new lands. Man is not inclined to reckon with the “interests” of animals, in each case he pursues mainly his own. And today, when you periodically hear about hunting in nature reserves? This is why polar bears, deer and even sharks are dying and degenerating.
In addition to freely using the resources of our planet, humans do not give anything back to it, and most importantly, they do not conserve it. This is evidenced by the level of pollution, which exceeds all acceptable norms.
Nota bene
Another scary reality is military conflicts. Whatever their rationale, nature cannot justify any war that destroys everyone and everything.
The worst disasters of the twentieth century,
- The death of the Aral Sea is a global disaster. It was first talked about in 1960, when the water level in the sea began to decrease annually by 20 cm.
- The Great Smog of 1952. This human-caused catastrophe has been called one of the world’s first. The poisonous fog enveloped London in December, killing 4,000 people in the first eight days alone, 8,000 more died later.
- The Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Radiation releases from the accident exceeded those from the bombing of Hiroshima.
These are the disasters that we know about, but how many of them remain “in the shadows” without being made public. In aggregate, all of the above (including those not listed above) can indeed lead to a global catastrophe.
Emergency measures – an open question
To prevent this from happening, emergency measures are needed at all levels.
Yes, the Apocalypse is real. But humanity can avoid it by working together.
Evgenia Shavyrkina