By Candela Vázquez Asenjo.

[Transition Earth would like to introduce Candela Vázquez Asenjo, our new youth blogger.  She will be occasionally posting blogs on a variety of topics – Ed.]

After reading the book Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot, the only words necessary to say, as written in its introduction, is that this book is a wake-up call. It is a call to everything that surrounds us but, because we are sedated, we are not aware of it. It is simply unbelievable how close the problem is and how far we are from seeing it.

Developed countries make up 20 – 30% of the whole human population on Earth. Yet, we are so alienated from what is going on outside our own bubbles that we cannot even believe that this situation or state is really happening. Therefore, what is the problem? Is it us doing nothing, or us not knowing it?

Searching for the Truth

I know most people have the resources to access the truth, although how are they going to search for it if they do not know where to start? Therefore, the real problem is education (not just academic but also personal). Many people are not used to thinking critically about pressing issues because until now this skill has normally been reserved for the intellectuals. However, because the 21st century is the century of interconnectivity and globalization, we all are highly exposed to any country’s problems simply at the press of a button. At the same time, we have created a world where there is a reality that affects all of us due to the consequences of our actions (and inactions) in other countries.

Consequently, people believe that their attitudes and/or ways of living are the correct ones, making their brains avoid the reality behind all their actions without knowing that people have to stop behaving as they have for centuries and start being critical about their own actions. This world we live in is a big one and without the proper help for everyone (not just the ones that need it most but also for others that have lived with a wrong idea during their lives) and the open knowledge of the situation, this state or reality is not going to change.

Responsibility for Our Actions

Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot has honestly opened my eyes to a very brutal reality. Although I was conscious of the situation and the huge problems we are immersed in, I never thought they are as big and catastrophic as they truly are. After reading this book and taking in its incredible photos, I realize that much more has to be done. However, I believe there is still hope for a better tomorrow.

From my point of view, the biggest danger about understanding this situation is to lose hope and faith for a change for the better. It is true humans live on a crowded planet but, at the same time, are not other species bigger in number than us? So my thought is that maybe the problem does not reside in the number of people on the planet but on how our behaviour and acts affects it and the rest of the living creatures in the world. Maybe what I just said is a mistake but it is true that if we want to live on this planet for many more centuries, the main issue resides in how we behave.

By helping people think critically about their actions, we are already making a big step towards managing the density of the population. We, the ones that can actually help, must take action in this war against the destruction of our planet, civilization and culture. We have to help the ones who need it the most and be consequent with our actions. Because even a small act can have a big repercussion.

Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon.

Candela Vázquez Asenjo is an Environmental Management student at the University of Manchester, UK, and a Law student at the Nebrija University, Spain. She aspires to be a social entrepreneur, with a focus on international environmental problems.