Ecological Crisis Timeline

Timeline of global risk

Everyday by doing nothing we are purchasing another lottery ticket for doomsday. The amount of carbon (CO₂) in the atmosphere is directly proportional to earth's population (P) multiplied by the energy (E) needed to service (S) that population.

P (population) x S (services used by people) x E (energy needed to power those services) x C (carbon required to make that energy) = CO₂ (carbon dioxide output)

In the developing world population growth is faster and as new consumers progress up Maslow's hierarchy demand for cars, air conditioning and the modern necessities grow.

Every part per million (ppm) we go past 400ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere increases our chance of a disaster happening. Whilst the everyday chances of something happening is remote, everyday by doing nothing we are purchasing another lottery ticket for doomsday. The most likely occurrence would be if we remove the foundations of Maslow's hierarchy of human needs lack of water and food which causes mass migration would be the most likely tipping point. “Only a crisis – actual or perceived – produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.”