Systemic resistance, close-mindedness, and ignorance are forcing humanity into a self-destruct path that I am powerless to stop. Every one of us has our little fiefdom and we are unable to understand how our individual actions are slowly killing the collective whole.

In our arrogance we claim we are above animals, yet we behave as predictably as any other species on this Earth. Thomas Malthus was dead on when he predicted that humans would simply multiply to the limit of their food supply. And multiplying we are, to the tune of nearly 7 billion people, with more billions to come. This rapid growth, unprecedented in human history, is destroying all aspects of our environment and compromising our quality of life in hundreds of ways.

Going hand-in-hand with our population explosion is the Western world’s avarice and passion for material goods, which is sucking the world dry of its resources and leaving vast tons of garbage in our landfills and oceans.

Our governments, religions, and even our collective will seems powerless to stop the runaway train that now promises to end our way of life, and perhaps the end of life itself.

But as along as I am alive I will always cling to hope. I believe that inside our souls is the drive and ability to make a positive change. Saving the world must come from within each of us, and every human must make a commitment to do his or her part. We cannot rely on our institutions and mythology to save us. We must save ourselves, as well as our fellow species, and we must save the beautiful planet that we all call home.

— Todd “Goose” Daniel