Careless Use of Resources Can Deplete Them - Essay Sample

Introduction

The world today is characterized by maximum consumption and maximum consumerism. This attitude of life directs us to consumerism that involves maximum utilization and utmost consumption of the available resources. The insatiable desire by the human kind to accumulate more and more have accelerated the process of depletion of resources.

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Depletion of resources is not a current phenomenon and has been experienced in the past. The difference is that past exploitation were localized while current depletion is global. An example of past depletion is the Monegros Desert in Spain. It is related that during the reign of Philip II in the 15th century, the navy harvested large tons of timber to build the famous Spanish Armada. The massive deforestation is cited as the leading cause of the Monegros Desert from very large forestland. Academic authors also point at the depletion of resources like one of the causes of Roman empire downfall. This example shows that careless use of resources can indeed deplete resources. Moreover, the examples challenge the ancient concept of infinite resources, with no consequences from depletion.

Gandhi call to the contentment of wants is relevant in an ecosystem that is experiencing rapidly depleting natural resources. Gandhi notes of mass production encompassing modern technology on a large scale as the leading cause of environmental degradation. Consequences of adopting consumerism are that, and needs are ever increasing, the propensity to accumulate weakens the soul and humans desire to overpower nature is ever-present. The propensity to accumulate defines greed. If greed dominates, the engine of growth will deplete resources. Accompanying depletion of resources is the pushing aside of the poor hence creating an economic, social and political crisis.

An example of greed in the 21st century is depicted in the scramble for Africa that aimed at acquiring raw material for industries in Europe. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa chronical the scramble for Africa and Belgium's King Leopold such for wealth in the Congo. The book lays bare the relentless pursuit of his fiefdom its untold riches in rubber and ivory. However, the scramble leads to human suffrage that claims the lives of an estimated ten million people. Christians hold that God has set in motion certain natural laws. When the laws are abused we incur the consequences. Carelessness and greed are examples of activities that can deplete natural resources. God has given us the power to choose. This means we are in charge of the environment and the outcomes that arise from our careless activities.

The Racing Extinction (2015) documents about the ongoing mass extinction of species and the efforts by scientists, journalists, and activists to document it. The documentary argues that the spread of humans is responsible for the mass extinction including global warming d poaching. The film cites overpopulation, animal agriculture, and globalization as the root causes of the extinction. Another film depicting how the world has changed in America Before Columbus. The film shows the pre-Columbus period. Settlers in America told of rivers with more fish, apple, and peaches that had proliferated the vast wilderness. The film shows how European settlers altered much of America's landscape in a bid to plant crops and keep animals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the carelessness portrayed in our use of resources will eventually lead in depletion of the world's resources. The depletion has been a continuing process from ancient time to the present era. If not careful the resources depletion will result in the fall of civilizations across the continent.

Works Cited

Mann, C. "America Before Columbus (TV Movie 2009)." IMDb, Alfred A. Knopf, 22 Nov. 2005, www.imdb.com/title/tt1552976/.

Psihoyos, L. "Racing Extinction (2015)." IMDb, Fisher Stevens, 24 Jan. 2015, www.imdb.com/title/tt1618448/.