We are at a crossroads with our civilization (society). We can go in a number of directions. It is best to make our own decisions now, which can be important for our survival as a civilization on our planet. This is threatened by a number of factors, some of which are self-induced, including:

Overpopulation/Overpopulation

In order to prevent the impact from becoming greater due to population growth and increased consumption, humans must balance the Earth's carrying capacity to be able to continue to support a certain number of people and their activities. Technological developments could ensure that more people can live on earth, but at the same time further deplete natural resources so that fewer people can live on earth in the long term. As a result, the concept of overpopulation is relative and constantly subject to change;

Natural disasters/climate-threatening circumstances such as major flooding, forest fires and volcanic eruptions;

Global warming

Global warming, also known as climate change, global warming, climate disruption, or climate crisis, is the increase in the global temperature since pre-industrial times. The average air temperature of the Earth's atmosphere at ground level was about 1.09 °C (0.95–1.20 °F) higher during the period 2011–2020 than during the period 1850–1900.[1] This warming is accompanied by global climate changes, such as changes in rainfall patterns and desertification. Global warming is part of broader environmental problems. It is undisputed among climate scientists that the average temperature on Earth has increased since the mid-20th century. There is also consensus about the cause: this trend is mainly caused by 'the greenhouse effect', an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This in turn is the result of human activities such as the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and certain industrial and agricultural activities. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the public and politicians have also largely agreed that there is a climate problem and that this is largely the result of human action.

The rise in sea level due to the melting of the polar caps

Sea level is the average height of the sea level (the surface of the sea), when all variations resulting from the tides are averaged out. There are two ways to measure the height of the seawater: the absolute sea level relative to the centre of the Earth and the relative sea level relative to the seabed. Sea level is the result of the volume of liquid water on Earth and of the average temperature that affects the average density of the water. Changes in absolute sea level (so-called eustatic changes) have occurred over the geological time scale and even in written history. When a lot of ice is stored on the polar caps and in glaciers, the sea level drops, during glacial periods (ice ages) even by many tens of metres. Sea level is used as a reference plane to indicate the height of locations on land (such as airports and residential areas) and of aircraft in the air.

Desertification (or desertification) is a term used for both the advance or expansion of a desert, and the creation of new desert areas. Desertification is often caused by climate change or by overexploitation of the land by human enterprise. Desertification is a significant environmental problem. The climatological cause of desertification is simply the fact that areas can dry out when there is less precipitation. Due to current climate change, dry areas often become even drier, which makes it easier for deserts to form in countries such as Spain. If the lower limit of 250 mm per year is no longer reached, we speak of a desert area. As far as human causes are concerned, there are more possibilities. Man can cause an area to dry out in various ways. Note that desertification can only occur if the climatological conditions are also suitable for it. It is easier to let an area in Chad become desertified than the Noordoostpolder, for example. The causes below often result in the unusability of agricultural land.

Damage to the ozone layer

The ozone layer is damaged by certain propellants from, for example, aerosol cans and older types of refrigerators. This mainly concerns CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon compounds). These end up in the ozone layer, disintegrate there under the influence of UV radiation and the resulting chlorine radicals break down the ozone molecules into chlorine monoxide radicals and molecular oxygen:
But fortunately, change is coming. Mankind is entering a turbulent new era, unprecedented in both the history of Earth and humanity. To survive the coming centuries and realize our potential as a species, we will have to overcome the greatest challenges we have ever faced, from extreme climate change to rogue AI to the inevitable death of the sun itself. The headlines make our chances seem bleak. But when you look at our history and our tenacity, it is clear that humanity has the unique ability to overcome the challenges we face. If we succeed, our potential is cosmic in scale. Incredible prosperity is within our grasp. Optimism is not only justified, it is a powerful weapon in the fight for a greater future.