The age of man

As World Population Day 2014 is observed tomorrow under the theme, ‘Invest in Young People today, to ensure a Bright Future’, the world economy continues to grapple with an ever burgeoning population and rapid urbanization. The latest estimates place the world’s population at just over 7 billion and projections see it rising to over 8 billion by 2050.

It is projected too that in the next 16 years, urban population growth and migration will see 60 per cent of the world’s population living in cities, many of which can barely cope with today’s high density of population and the concomitant economic activities. It is likely that city boundaries will have to be expanded, but even so, issues like air and water pollution, massive traffic congestion and the proclivity for the rapid transmission of disease given the increase in human contact will arise.

Experts believe that city planners should be cognisant of these projections as systems put in place now will serve to mitigate the impact of urban population growth, but if they are not, the problems will escalate. Plans put in place now will determine whether modern cities are sustainable, which means they must be able to promote economic activities that all citizens can benefit from in a safe way. Important too would be the provision of safe air and water, as well as the physical health and safety of citizens. This would include their environmental safety as well as security from crime and violence which tend to become inflated with greater human proximity.

There is a school of thought which believes that the world has moved into a new epoch, the Anthropocene, a term conceived by atmospheric chemist and Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, which means ‘the age of man’ – anthropo, for ‘man,’ and cene, for ‘new.’ This is because humankind, unlike any other species, has found ways to manipulate the universe to suit itself, and in so doing has created irreversible change. However, other scientists scoff at the idea, calling the Anthropocene, pop culture, that is not backed by any of the hard scientific facts which determine the end of an epoch or the beginning of another. Whitney Autin, a stratigrapher (scientist who studies rock layers) at the SUNY College of Brockport, says the crucial question is specifying exactly when human beings began to leave their mark on the planet.

While the scientific proof might not be there, anecdotal evidence is all around us. The early damming of rivers to provide water for agriculture now appears insignificant when compared to the building of huge hydro dams to provide electricity. The changes in landscape occasioned by the need to access materials and make space available for housing and agriculture as well are paltry in comparison with the dredging, digging and destruction being engaged in as mankind extracts precious metals from the earth and its rivers. We have only to look at the degradation in several interior locations right here in Guyana to see the changes wrought by man. Earlier this year, it was verified that local deforestation rates had climbed to 0.079 in 2012, from 0.054% in 2011. This climb has adversely affected not just the environment, but also the US$250 million agreement Guyana had signed with Norway in November 2009 to protect its forests, with the emphasis on keeping deforestation rates down. That agreement comes to an end next year.

Meanwhile, although the preliminary results of the 2012 population census done in Guyana have revealed a decline in total numbers, continuing urbanization is evident. Traffic chaos in the city, which a few years ago was limited to peak and holiday periods is now ongoing and year round. Georgetown is fit to burst, and sadly there is no evidence of any urban planning underway. The effects of this are already being felt, but are disregarded. It will be interesting to see how long we can persist in this ignorance before something gives.

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