3 Problems that Humanity must address NOW
Humanity has seen immense growth in the last few decades after the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Real Gross Domestic Product per capita has increased exponentially, average global life expectancy has never been higher, and it can be argued that of all the generations of humans, the current generation is enjoying standards of living that are unimaginably high for people in the past. Yet, humanity faces 3 important problems that may lead to our demise if left unaddressed.
- Erosion of traditional values
Before the Industrial Revolution and large scale urbanisation that has taken place in most of the Developed Countries, most people lived in rural, mainly agricultural communities that were small but tightly-knit. The communal spirit was strong and people depended on each other to survive. We had to help each other within our village or town.
Then came the Industrial Revolution and large scale urbanisation. Millions of people migrated from the rural areas to cities, in search of better paying jobs at factories. Yes, our material standard of living has gone up. However, most of the working class is now trapped in the endless rat race, with financial independence well beyond our reach with rising costs of living. Family units are now smaller, most with parents and their children, resulting in poorer relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren. The working class spend most of their time behind gated apartments and offices, buried in their own work. Children and teenagers keep their heads down most of the time, eyes glued to their smartphones, keeping social interactions to a minimum.
The rise of the Bourgeoisie has also contributed to the rise of individualism as people seek to maximise their personal economic benefit, getting caught up in an endless cycle of earning money and spending money on material goods. While individualism is important in some aspects as it can build our personal identity and boost our self-esteem, individualism at the extreme can lead to self-centredness, lack of consideration of others, and compromise our ability to effectively communicate, as well as empathise with others. Have we been too focused on ourselves, that we have lost our personal touch with others? That authentic connection that we yearn for, one that our early ancestors needed to stay alive?
2. Economic Inequality
The rise of the free markets and capitalism, spearheaded by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the late 20th century has brought about unrivalled trade, bringing about the start of the second wave of globalisation and prosperity. Undoubtedly, capitalism has its merits, the invisible hand being able to allocate resources and capital efficiently most of the time.
Yet, the rich are getting richer at a much faster rate than the poor, widening the gap between the haves and have nots. Between the Global North which consists of Europe and North America, and the Global South which consists of Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, that contrast in the level of development is stark. Even within Developed Countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America, the abysmal rift between the rich and the poor is growing. Homeless people roam the posh streets of London and New York.
History has shown that when inequality is too great, political stability is jeopardised as those in the bottom rungs of society become discontent and want to overthrow the authority with the hopes of establishing a state that can improve their lives. The French Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, and even the more recent Hong Kong protests, all have something to do with rising inequality and the perceived inability to keep up with inflation.
And therefore, Communism was born, to address the inequality brought about by Capitalism. While in theory, the Communist ideals are appealing, the policies are not effective, and in certain cases, are detrimental to economic growth. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and Communist China’s decision to open to trade and foreign investment are concrete pieces of evidence that prove Communism cannot work out in real life.
Despite this, economic inequality is still an issue that cannot be swept under the rug. Why is it that with all our technological advancements, we can send people to the moon, we can invent vaccines to combat Covid-19, but we cannot even ensure that everyone has access to clean water? That the distribution of the vaccines is equitable?
3. Climate Change
While we can boast about our rapid development, the negative side effects of our growth cannot be ignored. For far too long, we have contributed to global warming by burning fossil fuels for our insatiable consumption and lifestyles. The older generations born in the 1960s and earlier have benefitted immensely from industrialisation. It is their children, grandchildren, and generations that have to be born, who will bear the brunt of climate change.
“All human beings have the right to fairness, equity and justice in all climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation measures and efforts.”
~Declaration on Human Rights and Climate Change
It is long overdue for all countries to cooperate and work out detailed goals and plans to curb emission but most of the Developed Countries are unwilling to give up their current consumeristic way of life and Developing Countries are prioritising economic growth over the environment. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020, global carbon emission dropped a whopping 5.8%, the first ever decrease since the Industrial Revolution. Do we really need a global pandemic to show us that we can reduce emissions if we wanted to?
