Will Humankind Survive Essay, Research Paper

Humankind Will Survive

After thousands and thousands of years since humankind was first created, we still exist because of the goodness of humankind. To be good, a person must look back upon ethical and moral norms. There have been many disasters as well as discoveries which provide us with wonder of humankind’s endurance. Although mass killings, environmental issues and technology may be slowly destroying parts of the human race, many things will overpower this evil. Such things as caring communities, environmental clean up, technology and improvements in lifestyle have helped humans live longer lives and will prevent the destruction of men and women. The nature of humankind is basically good, therefore, humankind will survive.

Throughout history there have been large amounts of murders around and within the two World Wars. As Nazi Germany gained control of one country after another in World War II, there were many killing of civilians and maltreatment of soldiers that can be classified as war crimes. The primary goal of the Nazi Holocaust was the extermination of all the Jews in Europe. Out of an estimated 8.3 million Jews living in German-occupied Europe after 1939, about 6 million were killed. There are also a lot of crimes being committed by the use of weapons by adolescence as well as adults in yesterday and today’s societies. One example of a mass killing was done in Montreal by a twenty-five-year-old named Marc Lepine. He entered a school and shot twenty-seven women in which fourteen eventually died. The unthinkable became reality on August 6, 1945 when the United States used the atomic bomb on the Japanese City of Hiroshima. The bomb completely destroyed about five square miles of the city, instantly killing between 70,000 to 80,000 people. Thousands more died later from radiation poisoning. In April 1995, much of Oklahoma’s downtown area was devastated by a terrorist car bomb that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The bomb damaged many surrounding buildings and killed 168 people. All of these acts were done because of hatred and led to the destruction of humankind.

Even after many murders in history, people have found ways to either prosecute the guilty, apologize for their actions, and/or commemorate the dead and come together as a community. French President Jacques Chirac publicly apologized for the French government’s participation in Nazi efforts to deport thousands of Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust in World War II. Chirac’s statement ended years of denials from French leaders that the French government shared responsibility for brutality committed under German occupation. The school shooting committed by Marc Lepine that killed fourteen women in Montreal has brought on annual memorials honoring their names. Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima is a site that specifically commemorates the victims of the atomic bomb. The terrorist which blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma is now in jail and is not to be released any time soon. Therefore, all of these negative actions have positively brought communities together against the crimes and provides proof that humankind will overcome these hardships.

Humankind has also made mistakes with the environment but a lot of effort has been put into correcting these problems. There is a great increase of pollution produced by car exhaust, litter and the use of non-recyclable products which is creating a hole in the ozone layer. In many areas landfill sites are approaching their full capacity and many cities are turning to incineration as a solution. Giant, high-temperature burners have become another source of air pollution. Human population has been closely linked to the reduction of the Earth’s resources. Robert Malthus concluded that populations expand and may overtake the possibility of adding enough land for crops. Deforestation of tropical rain forests threatens to increase the Earth’s carbon dioxide levels, making much land unproductive, and forcing many plant and animal species into extinction. Cutting down of trees takes much less time than it takes to plant and grow one. Some 40 to 50 million acres of forest are cut down yearly. These environmental factors lead to illness, disease and overpopulation, which may lead to human extinction.

Conversely, much of humankind has noticed what we have done to the environment and has acted accordingly. These actions will ensure our survival in the future. An annual emissions test is required by law to car owners to make sure that their cars aren’t polluting the air and are safe to be on the road. Some cities have passed regulations that encourage or require residents to separate glass and aluminum cans and bottles from other waste so that these substances can be melted down and reused. In addition, although trees are being cut down, humankind is provided with furniture, paper, etc. that help us live long and sufficiently.

Technology has provided us with many great advancements, yet, it also has set back the human mind and body but it has also provided us with great advancements that will ensure our survival. Computers such as calculators and PC’s now do math, grammar corrections and a whole lot more for us, and do not allow the mind to think for itself. Medicine has been a great advancement, still a lot of drugs are being used illegally and led to illness, overdose and suicide. These examples lead to laziness of the human mind and body as well as bodily harm.

On the other hand, computers help people do things faster and more efficiently. Computers can also store plenty of information, which saves filing space and contributes to better working and living conditions through quick retrieval and saved time. Medical advancements are wonderful because they aid in curing illnesses and diseases. Doctors can now perform operations without patients feeling pain. Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin in September 1928. It has saved millions of lives by stopping the growth of the bacteria that is responsible for blood poisoning and many other once fatal diseases and was extensively used in World War II. Major advances in surgery, X-ray and laser technology, electronics, and blood transfusion permit rebuilding of key parts of the heart and blood vessels. These and other advances in medicine have extended the life spans of many and will continue to do so in the future.

It is obvious, therefore, that caring communities, recovery and reuse of materials as well as medical advancements are proof of man’s goodness and they over weigh the negative factors. Many devastations of the world have created obstacles which humankind must plan their way through such as murders, corruption and inactivity due to intellectual machinery. Yet in spite of all these negative factors, humankind has survived up until now and will continue to forever more.

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