Compassion, Catastrophe, and Change

Modern society is based on energy, and the recent rapid evolution is due in major part to cheap, convenient, readily available energy. However, humans have diverted a substantial portion of Earth s life support capacity from supporting other life forms to solely supporting humans. Humankind has used every means available to displace other life forms from their original habitats, divert their resources to human use, and deplete natural capital that has taken many years to accumulate. However, now the cheap, convenient energy that allowed this scenario is declining and any alternative energy sources would either come at a higher environmental cost or are not yet widely available.