How to Stop a Slow Apocalypse

When most people think about an apocalypse they think of zombies, meteorites, and nuclear explosions, but apocalypses are slow, so slow you may not even recognize them.

Let us consider for moment that it is the year AD 21 (XXI). In AD XXI, Tiberius was Consul of Rome. The Roman Republic was still a living memory for some, but most were born into the new Roman Empire.

In AD XXI, if you were to ask a Roman citizen whether they thought their civilization was facing a slow end, they might have chuckled and took you for mad. That’s because a slow apocalypse is hard to see, but as historians would argue, the signs of Rome’s decline were everywhere.

Now, fast forward two millenia to the year 2021. Technology has improved, as has quality of life. We can travel anywhere in the world in a matter of days. At first glance, the 21st century is a prosperous age. But is it? Are we in a slow apocalypse?

Some facts…

1) Overpopulation: The world population is 7.75 billion and growing. Humans have transformed over 70% of land surfaces, using about three-quarters of all freshwater resources. Overpopulation causes a depletion of resources and biodiversity.

2) Pollution: 2.4 billion people do not have access to clean water. In 2017, about 90% of the world’s population was exposed to unhealthy air. Degradation of land and soils affects about 3.2 billion people (40% of the world’s population).

3) Warming and Extreme Weather: In the U.S., 8 of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. Over the last 30 years, average temperatures have risen, with more temperature extremes becoming common. This has corresponded to an increase in extreme weather conditions affecting the lives of millions.

4) Inequality: Inequality is growing for more than 70% of the global population. This has created a crisis in opportunity and livelihood, forcing thousands to immigrate. In the U.S., gaps in income between upper-income earners and low- & middle-income earners has been growing with most of the wealth flowing from the middle to upper income earners.

5) Democracy: While the number of democracies have increased since 1977, there is growing evidence that democracy and pluralism are under assault. According to Freedom House, 2019 was the 14th consecutive year of decline in global freedom with 64 countries experiencing a deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties, while 37 countries experienced improvements.

Sigh…

As each of us gets older (and hopefully a little wiser), it is hard to ignore the signs of the slow apocalypse. When resources become scarce, political and social unrest rise. The divide between the “haves” and “have nots” seems to grow wider and wider by the day. Thankfully, most of us are somewhere in the middle.

So what can we do?

Each one of us must recognize our role in the slow apocalypse and try our best to be an advocate and actor for change. We must be true materialists. We need to care about what products we use and how much waste we create. All of us should adopt an ancestor’s mindset, striving to create a better more prosperous world for future generations. This is a beautiful legacy filled with virtue, truth, and love. This is not a problem that can be solved by one person, or even one country, but through our individual examples we can turn the wheel of change for a better tomorrow, for you, for me, for all living things, now and future. It is our time and it begins with taking a larger view. Will you answer the call?

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