Is the earth doomed?

derpytia

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Please read Evolutionary Dead-Ends.

Is there hope for planet earth?

For the current earth? No.
From a "purely non-religious" viewpoint: No. We've made a HUGE mess and some things cannot be undone. We can slow down the process maybe by making better choices but ultimately the planet will continue to get worse because of the damage done.

From a Christian viewpoint: still no. Even if humankind didn't do anything to poison the planet or strip it of its resources, the earth is still under the curse of sin and would still be rotting away slowly one way or another.
 
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DaisyDay

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Chesterton

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juvenissun

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MyOwnSockPuppet

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For the current earth? No.
From a "purely non-religious" viewpoint: No. We've made a HUGE mess and some things cannot be undone. We can slow down the process maybe by making better choices but ultimately the planet will continue to get worse because of the damage done.

We have made a hell of a mess true enough, but I sincerely doubt that we can kill the entire planet. Make it uninhabitable for innumerable species (including H. Sapiens) yes, but I doubt we'll manage to kill off the rats, let alone the cockroaches and frankly we don't stand a chance of killing off all the tardigrades.
 
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Shemjaza

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A view from evolutionists:

We overuse the earth --> WE die --> the earth recoup --> We thrive again.

Of course, I don't agree. That takes too much faith.
Are you implying that we think humans will go extinct then return?
 
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Ophiolite

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Please read Evolutionary Dead-Ends.

Is there hope for planet earth?
It's good to know there are pessimists out there. It provides a nice contrast for the realists and the optimists. It is not too much of a task to deconstruct and refute most of the arguments in that link, but frankly, I have no interest in doing so just to educate those so amenable to rhetoric and flawed argument they'll buy what the writer is selling.

Now as to your question, is there hope for Planet Earth:
  • As a geologist I view Planet Earth is a good sized terrestrial planet with partially molten core, solid, but dynamic mantle and interesting surface geology mediated by plate tectonics. Some of the superficial geological activity is modified by an active biosphere, but that's somewhat incidental to the bulk of the planet. I hope, based on sound studies, that plate tectonics should keep going for another billion, or billion and a half years. Eventually the planet probably gets swallowed up during the sun's red giant phase. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
  • As a biologist I view Planet Earth as Attenborough's Blue Planet. A marvellous world of richly ointerwoven life stories of plants, bacteria and animals. This biosphere has evolved and enriched, despite suffering several major extinctions that wiped out the majority of then extant species. I see little reason to doubt that biosphere can survive a couple more and, perhaps as on previous occassions, emerge stronger and more diverse than ever.
  • As a member of homo sapiens I'm seriously embarrassed by the casual, ignorant way we are currently behaving as a species and desecrating the biosphere that gave birth to us. The worst is not yet past, but I am, nevertheless, optimistic that we are slowly coming to our senses. We shall destroy much that was wonderful, but good sense will eventually prevail - the seeds are already budding.
  • So, I have a hope - and this is probably the only faith based belief I have - that we shall reject the misreading of Genesis that allegedly gave us domininion over other life and come to recognise that our role is that of stewards.
 
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Ophiolite

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It's all in God's plan and don't blame it on man.
I don't mean this unkindly. I'm sure you are a decent, well-meaning bloke. However, that attitude wherein you reject responsibility for what humans are doing to our biosphere is placing the future of my children and grandchildren at serious risk. I am unable to forgive you for that.
 
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Mountainmanbob

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I don't mean this unkindly. I'm sure you are a decent, well-meaning bloke. However, that attitude wherein you reject responsibility for what humans are doing to our biosphere is placing the future of my children and grandchildren at serious risk. I am unable to forgive you for that.

I think God's words to man were to go out and subdue the Earth. To me that would mean use it but, don't abuse it.

They will love the creation and not the Creator.

M-Bob
 
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Ophiolite

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I think God's words to man were to go out and subdue the Earth. To me that would mean use it but, don't abuse it.

They will love the creation and not the Creator.

M-Bob
Unfortunately Bob many of your bretheren are abusing it and justifying that abuse on the misinterpretation of Genesis. And - before you mention it - many of my bretheren are also abusing it with no justification other than they don't care.
 
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Mountainmanbob

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Unfortunately Bob many of your bretheren are abusing it and justifying that abuse on the misinterpretation of Genesis. And - before you mention it - many of my bretheren are also abusing it with no justification other than they don't care.

I am only responsible for one man and one woman up top the mountain.

I will say as I look around our church I see many people there that only want to protect the resources of the Earth.

Seems to be proven once again in general most people are good.

As good as people can be that is. Still falling short in God's eyes.

M-Bob
 
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Ophiolite

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I am only responsible for one man and one woman up top the mountain.
Unfortunately my arrogance makes me feel responsible for the actions of all 7 billion of us.

I will say as I look around our church I see many people there that only want to protect the resources of the Earth.
That sounds, on the surface, encouraging. How many of them, if any, deny global warming is a problem?

Seems to be proven once again in general most people are good.
Many people are capable of misguided actions, through ignorance, when they intend good.
 
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Petros2015

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In Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, Jared Diamond found that a common factor was the myopic and self-serving decision-making of elites who believed they could insulate themselves from the consequences of societal disasters. As the elites reaped the rewards, the resulting damage to everyone else built up over time until calamity struck. The grim reality is that history has proven such cycles of extreme wealth inequality have only been broken by catastrophes –plagues, revolutions, massive wars, and collapsed states.

I read that book, it's excellent. At some point, the Easter Islander's chopped down the last tree. Cannibilism followed. "Your mother's flesh sticks in my teeth" was a common "your momma" insult. When you overharvest and destroy your environment, you destroy your society. Other factors - allies, trade resources, temporary conditions, lack of enemies, enable societies to flourish... for a while.

I don't think the Earth itself is doomed in the short term scale of 1 to 2000 years. But societies that are built on exploiting it are. At last count, that includes all of them.
 
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doubtingmerle

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Mountainmanbob

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Uh, wouldn't that woman on top of the mountain be responsible for herself?

My job.
Although she has her duties and I have mine.

We are not into women's lib up here.
MB
 
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Shemjaza

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No. Population changes dramatically.
I can happen, look at the plagues and famines of history: the doom of the Anasazi; the collapse of the Mayan culture; look at the Black Death.

No faith required. Climate change is a current worrying thing, but I doubt we'll see significant die back, just an increase in poverty and misery.
 
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juvenissun

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I can happen, look at the plagues and famines of history: the doom of the Anasazi; the collapse of the Mayan culture; look at the Black Death.

No faith required. Climate change is a current worrying thing, but I doubt we'll see significant die back, just an increase in poverty and misery.

No faith required? You do not care about it enough.
 
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