Sustainability and Humanity: A COMM 171 Research Essay Analysis

This essay, written for COMM 171, explores the intricate relationship between sustainability and humanity, examining the adverse effects of commodification, overpopulation, and resource depletion on both the environment and cultural diversity. It references key articles by Wade Davis, David Suzuki, and Henry Kendall to analyze the challenges of a growing global population on finite resources, the erosion of cultural practices, and the critical need for environmental preservation. The essay discusses the impact of human activities on the earth's ecosystems, including the loss of biodiversity, rising temperatures, and pollution. It emphasizes the importance of controlling birth rates, ensuring sexual equality, and promoting family planning to achieve sustainable development. The author concludes by highlighting the need to preserve diverse languages, cultures, and traditions to avoid a homogenized future. The essay underscores the importance of empowering women and managing resources effectively to create a sustainable world. The essay highlights the urgency of addressing environmental issues and cultural preservation in the face of global challenges.

Running Head: SUSTAINABILITY AND HUMANITY
SUSTAINABILITY AND HUMANITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
In the race for success, the process of urbanization has brought in commodification
and the necessity to achieve a competitive position in life. With the widespread destruction of
biological species and lessening of the biological diversity, there has been a considerable
impact on the cultural diversities. In this race, languages have also suffered considerably.
From a count 6000, languages have come down to a number as low as 500 in the present
century (Davis, 2000). The earth is nothing but in a course of collision with the human beings
on one side and the nature on the other side. The unrestrained increase in the population has
resulted in the accumulation of wastes and affected the environment, comprising of the
atmosphere, water resources, oceans, soil, forests and the living species (Kendall, 1992). The
earth is a finite place with finite resources. However, the growing population is continuously
threatening the overconsumption of the resource, thereby depleting them and increasing the
pollution (Suzuki, 2011).
Discussion
The earth is the only planet that supports life but also diversity. With life and humans,
came the cultural practices that speak for the unique spiritual and intellectual achievement.
This reflects in the languages they speak. In the world where there is no incentive for the
accumulation of possessions other than wealth, everything else gets carried on one’s back.
Margaret Mead, an anthropologist, expressed her concerns before her death, stating,
“as we drifted toward a more homogenous worlds we were laying the foundations of a bland
and generic modern culture that in the end would have no rivals” (Davis, 2000). All she tries
to emphasize on is of a world where the complete human imagination would be limited to a
single form of intellectualism and modality. The languages need proper preservation and

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practice along with the customs as those from the nomadic communities do. This ensures a
stronger bond formation within the community.
At the same time, maintain the ecological balance is also crucial with the alarming
effect of human activities on nature, leading to overutilization of resources, endangerment,
extinction and severe pollution of the environment. This is making the environment toxic and
threatening the integrity of the earth’s ecosystem. The rising level of temperature is not only
melting the glaciers and raising the seawater level but also threatening the climatic changes
besides adding to difficulty for a few species of plants and animals.
Framing of laws is a task that needs a proper method for implementation of the same.
Control in birth rates besides the creation of more and more non-biodegradable wastes
requires proper invigilation and involvement of the higher State authorities. In order to do so,
birth rate shall be controlled and sexual equality shall be ensured. This will not only empower
women but also provide them a stance to take their own reproductive decisions (Kendall,
1992). Family planning and elimination of poverty are also vital grounds that add to a
sustainable development.
The consumption of a resource is dependent on its production. “It takes a year or less
for nature to regenerate the amount we use in a year” and that is something which is
sustainable (Suzuki, 2011). However, the rate at which these resources are being used and
exhausted is extremely high and nature is unable to keep at pace with this. It is found that
nature requires at least 1.5 years to replace all that is taken away from her by the humans in a
year (Suzuki, 2011).
The situations have a fair chance to come under control if women are provided with
more rights over their own bodies besides raising awareness about using contraceptive
devices. A general need for reduction of economic disparity and a system that governs the

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allocation of the resources in a better way. However, the average number of children that a
woman bears has gone down now by a considerable number but the exponential rise in the
population in the previous century has affected the ecological balance sufficiently.
Conclusion
The world is a place that has a diverse form of resources, lives and demographic
features with diverse forms of life and culture. The jeopardized situation of the flora and
fauna around is adversely affecting and disrupting the ecological balance. The over-
consumption of resources are adding to the pressure for creation of these resources on the
nature. The provision of allowing women to choose their decisions empowers them and the
ecosystem, indirectly. Efforts for surviving the diverse languages, cultures and traditions
besides the different life forms are also essential to curb reaching a single way of living in the
future.

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References
Davis, Wade (2000). “A Dead End for Humanity”. The Globe and Mail.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/a-dead-end-for-humanity/article771688/
Kendall, Henry (1992). “World Scientists' Warning To Humanity”. Union of Concerned
Scientists. www.ucsusa.org/about/henry-w-kendall.html
Suzuki, David (2011). “Is seven-billion people too many?” The David Suzuki Organization.
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/science-matters/2011/11/is-seven-billion-people-
too-many/