DailyDirt: What Will Humanity's Legacy Be?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Humans have obviously had a significant impact on the Earth. We've killed off various species and built stuff that may long outlast our grandchildren (e.g., the pyramids, the Long Now clock, nuclear waste facilities, etc.). At some point, we might want to think about what we'll leave behind after we're gone ourselves. Here are just a few links on planning for the future for our world.

• A professor of water management looked at humanity's overall environmental footprint -- and concluded our behavior is unsustainable. It's not such a big surprise, but the report also points out that technology alone probably won't bring us back to sustainable levels if we don't alter our consumption habits. [url]
• Economically, though, maybe you shouldn't worry too much -- and just consume as much as you can when you're young and able to enjoy it. If you're not planning to live too long, it doesn't make much sense to save for the future or work long hours hoping that you'll be able to enjoy retirement someday. [url]
• Humanity's new, long-lasting techno-fossils might be plastiglomerates -- a new type of rock made up of plastics, volcanic sediment and various other kinds of beach debris. These plastic rocks might not last as long as other kinds of geological materials, but their traces could become a distinguishing feature of the Anthropocene era. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: anthropocene, environment, footprint, global climate change, impact, long now, plastic, plastiglomerates, rocks, sustainability