The Suffering Child of Humanity

The Suffering Child of Humanity

            Earth. The home that humanity has inhabited for millions of years. Scientists have yet to find another planet exactly like it. Earth is unique in so many ways that it will be difficult to find a planet with the same atmosphere, vegetation, and life forms. Humans have benefitted from Earths resources since the beginning of existence. Unfortunately, humans have come to a point in time where we are taking too much of Earth’s resources and it is killing the planet. It is difficult to encourage every single person on this planet to completely change their lifestyle in order to save their home. There are so many factors and resources that are integrated with society and by changing our lifestyle would affect many lives. But there are some instances where a change of lifestyle can happen in any second and affect the whole planet. In science fiction novels such as “The Collapse of Western Civilization” written by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, it is shown that the only way to encourage humans to come together and save the planet is after a disastrous event. In order to save Earth, humanity has to come together instead of benefitting from Earth’s suffering.

            “It is difficult to understand why humans did not respond appropriately in the early Penumbral Period, when preventative measures were still possible” (13). Oreskes and Conway create a future in which humans must migrate to other parts of the world in order to survive the dangerous effects of global warming. What is interesting is that this book is accurate in predicting events that have occurred throughout the years. Such as, for many years, scientists have presented information to the government on how to save the planet but the government has not taken any steps to deal with the presented issues. In the novel, the government finally took action in the year 2041 when “unprecedented heat waves scorched the planet, destroying food crops around the globe” (25). After riots and disease spread out among the population, the United States and Canada took action and began “an orderly plan for resource-sharing and northward population relocation” (26). It seems that in the novel, humanity starts to act and save the planet after a disaster has harmed people. Also halfway through the novel, it tells the reader about the events leading up to the mass migration of humans due to “warming, sea level rise, and Artic Ice loss, among other parameters” (13). One can only wonder if these instances will happen to humans in later years. 

            In current times, there are still people who choose not to contribute in saving the environment. It appears that another’s suffering is the reason for one’s happiness. In the science fiction story, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin, tells the story of a “utopia” in which the people of the city thrive and rejoice. But their happiness relies upon a child confined in a dark basement, treated like an animal, “as it sits in its own excrement continually” (3). People come to see the child. “One of them may come and kick the child to make it stand up” or “peer in at it with frightened disgusted eyes” (3). The people of Omelas know that this child is suffering but yet do not help it. The happiness of the people “depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery” (3). But, there are those who cannot live with the fact that a child is suffering while others live happily. Those people, the ones who walk away from Omelas, are a step closer to saving the child from living in darkness.

            The short story is similar to the relationship between Earth and its inhabitants, humans. The people of Omelas would be considered humans and government officials not enacting change to save the environment, and the suffering child would be Earth. Finally the ones who walk away from Omelas would be considered environmental activists or people who want to change their lifestyles from hurting to saving the planet. Like the ones who walk away from Omelas, humans need to follow their actions. We cannot continue living our lives while the Earth is suffering. We are depleting Earth’s resources and the undeniable truth is that those resources will run out. What will happen when we run out and where will we find more?

“They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do” (4). Actually, there are many things that we can do to help the child or Earth. Unfortunately most people choose not to act. As “The Collapse of Western Civilization” states, we have the information to do something but we choose not to act upon it. The fate of the future lies in humanity’s hands. The information brought up by scientists about global warming is real but has yet to be acted upon. If we don’t create stronger measures, it will be too late. What more can we do as a species to encourage others to step up and save our home?