During These Unprecedented Times, What is Ours To Do

What is Good for the Earth is Good for Us

If Charles Darwin was correct, the "struggle for existence" is a natural condition for all living beings. Humanity is no exception. Throughout history, artists, poets, mystics, historians, scientists, and countless others have recounted the relentless challenges posed by nature and the vagaries of human behavior. One might assume that by this point Ecclesiastes had it right: there is nothing new under the sun, no struggle or challenge that some society somewhere has not already faced.

And yet, we find ourselves in truly unprecedented times. Never before have there been so many people on the planet. Never before have so many suffered from hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Never before has so much of nature been relentlessly turned into product.

And never has the Earth seemed so small and fragile. Even a century ago, who would have imagined that we could turn the planet into a vast food trough for our species; transform forests and prairies into deserts; eradicate most every wild animal; dry up the world’s largest rivers, lakes, and aquifers; heat up the air and seas from top to bottom; and melt away the ice sheets.

Despite these daunting realities, it is reasonable to believe that our civilization can transition into a sustainable relationship with the Earth. If it does not, then – by the very definition of "sustainable” – it will not survive. The sooner we begin this transition, the better the prospects for future generations. They will inherit a planet with more favorable weather, healthier forests, farmlands, and oceans, and abundant natural resources to meet the challenges that they will – because challenges are a natural condition of all living beings – inevitably face.

What is Ours To Do

So then, what is ours to do? Thousands of books and countless articles offer advice about improving every aspect of our lives. Few, however, are as radical (go to the roots of our existence), and therefore are as beneficial to both us and to all living beings as what follows.

The most significant and lasting contribution one can make for humanity’s future is to commit to having no more than one child. “Zero to one,” is the maxim. Nothing adds more to a person’s ecological footprint than having children. And the wealthier the parent, the greater the likely impact of their descendants.

To avoid repeating the mistakes of China’s one-child policy (most egregiously, female infanticide), this commitment will need to be voluntary, not coerced. Fortunately, we know this is achievable. In about one hundred countries, families already average less than two children, and in fifty of these, the norm is approaching one child. Moreover, research shows that the more egalitarian (less patriarchal) a society, the smaller its families and the healthier its communities—which is a truly inspiring outcome and another compelling incentive for supporting female empowerment all of the world!

Concerns about the loneliness of single children can be alleviated by the knowledge that cousins often provide deep, supportive bonds, free from sibling rivalries and jealousies. Also reassuring is that this commitment to "zero-to-one" need only last a few generations—until human numbers align with Earth’s carrying capacity.

At that point, humanity could maintain a sustainable population by averaging two-child families. By then, societal norms may have evolved away from the isolated, often dysfunctional, nuclear family structure, favoring multigenerational communities of extended families and friends. These arrangements would provide adults and children alike with the security and love that our human our nature demands for healthy psycho-social development.

Beyond Family Size: Rethinking Lifestyles

Equally crucial to sustainability is for the affluent billion-and-a-half people worldwide to “downsize” their lifestyles and substantially reduce their material consumption. Downsizing is exceedingly difficult for people with several children or significant disposable income. Limiting oneself to less than two children – “zero to one” – will help tremendously.

As will having smaller incomes. Those in wealthy nations can achieve this indirectly by working fewer hours for wages. In that way we will produce less, will be paid less, and can therefore afford far fewer material goods.

For those who need to work more to feel useful or connected, countless "volunteer" opportunities exist. Contributing pro bono[i] – literally "for the public good" – can be deeply rewarding. Being of service to others, whether humans, animals, ecosystems, or principles, is a timeless source of fulfillment.

The Gift of a Downsized Life

A simpler, downsized life offers unexpected freedom and joy. By working fewer hours, we reclaim time for creativity, community, and lifelong passions. This shift can bring the rewards of a retirement-like lifestyle long before the limitations of old age set in.

Freed from the grind of wage labor, individuals can embrace foundational practices for longer, healthier lives: meditation, exercise, lifelong learning, nutritious eating, and quality sleep. These practices also reduce reliance on expensive medical care and validate the benefits of a shortened workweek.

Reconnecting with Nature

A profound reconnection with nature is essential for our well-being. Today, billions live as "cave dwellers," spending nearly all their time indoors, separated from sunlight, fresh air, and the richness of life outside. However, it would be equally harmful (to the rest of nature) for billions of people to suddenly flood the planet’s remaining fields and forests. Small steps—sitting on a porch, stargazing, walking in parks—can reawaken our connection to nature and community.

Gardening, even a few hours a week, provides another avenue to reconnect with life. Whether on personal plots or in community spaces, gardening yields fresh, local, and organic food while teaching fundamental skills. Composting food waste further enhances this cycle, reducing landfill use and enriching the soil. Big grass lawns can be converted to gardens and returned to nature as small patches of wilderness.

Rethinking Diets

Eating less meat is another critical step toward a healthy biosphere that can sustain a large human population (“large” because face it, even a down-sized human population of two billion people far outnumbers all the other large, wild animals combined). After limiting family size, reducing our meat intake is the single most effective action we can take in pursuit of a sustainable and regenerative civilization.

This will also ensure that there is enough for everyone in the world, billions of whom presently suffer from dietary malnutrition—that is, their diets are insufficient in key life-sustaining nutrients.

A Cultural Paradigm Shift

As we embrace sustainability, equity, and an egalitarian society, our daily actions will align more naturally with these values. We will avail ourselves of increasingly sophisticated mass transportation networks and will likely participate in a sharing economy and other paradigm-shifting innovations. Roads will accommodate bicycles and small electric vehicles. Smart, driverless electric fleets will offer greener, more affordable travel options. And advanced communication technologies will replace many of our transportation needs.

Overcoming Barriers

The affluent and powerful, accustomed to wealth accumulation, will resist many of these changes. Overcoming this resistance requires a profound moral shift in our economic, military, and political systems. The need is urgent for humanity to mature beyond its collective adolescence, recognize our ecological crises and the suffering caused by severe global inequity, and to respond responsibly.

Paradoxically, surrendering excess often leads to greater fulfillment. Authentic, harmonious, and peaceful lives await those who embrace these changes.

A Call to Action

At the crossroads of sustainability and collapse, the choice is ours. What is good for the Earth is good for humanity. By rethinking our relationship with nature and one another, we can create a future of abundance and balance.

The path forward requires, first and foremost, a profound awakening to our relationship to the larger whole, and will demand courage, cooperation, and imagination. It is not merely about survival but about building a civilization worthy of our self-name, Homo sapiens.

[i] The Latin phrase is actually pro bono publico.