Is humanity suicidal?

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Recommended: Human relationships with the environment

Science and Social Assignment: Is Humanity Suicidal?
In Matteo Fagotto’s (2014) “Death metal: How tin mining is destroying an Indonesian island,” the small island of Bangka was once a paradise but is now suffering both environmental and fatal consequences. The demand for tin has increased drastically over the past decade and around 40% of the population is now involved in both the legal and illegal mining of this valuable ore. Lying on the bottom of the seabed, divers must go down and work in dug-out craters to extract the ore. The danger here is that on average, one diver dies every week from a collapse in the sea bed. Not only is the issue that people are dying but also this industry is destroying the environment of Indonesia, specifically coral reefs and fishing areas. As the need for tin increases, it’s unlikely that this island will be able to return to its original state of paradise.
The article “Is Humanity Suicidal” (Wilson 1996), is an attempt to look upon the fact that as humans, we seem to be destroying the environment, and not realizing it until it’s too late. The environment and its resources are not invincible and will not completely regenerate. For this reason, it would seem that humans are ultimately going to cause extinction for themselves. The destruction ranges from the atmosphere, animals and plants, and all the way down to fresh water. As populations increase, so does the rate of possible extinction and the increase in technology is causing an abundance of new ways our planet is rotting away. It would appear that humans are either oblivious to the damage they’re causing or that there is no choice and that humanity might one day, face extinction.
The article I chose does an excellent job of expanding on the ide...

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... area, who’s industry has been somewhat destroyed by the overpowering act of mining tin.
In an attempt to bring this issue to the surface, an environmental group asked a number of smartphone companies to come forward about their use of Bangkanese tin. This did work but personally, I heard nothing about this and I haven’t seen much benefit. I truly believe that at this point, humans are not thinking about what effect every little thing is having on our planet. In other words, humanity is, in a way, suicidal but only time will tell for sure.

Works Cited

Fagotto, M. (2014, April 6). Death metal: How tin mining is destroying an indonesian island. Toronto star, p. WD6.

Wilson, E. (1993). Is humanity suicidal?. In C. Cockerton & M. Chaparian (Eds.), The human project: Readings on the individual, society, and culture(5th ed., pp. 259-267). Toronto, Ontario: Pearson.

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