1) We have overpopulated the world. The earth simply cannot sustain 7 billion (and counting) people. There is not enough soil to grow the amount of food we need. Some have begun using hydroponics to grow food, which works fine, although it uses alot of chemicals, nutrients, equipment, and of course water. Genetically engineered food, and food created in science labs (yes, such exists) has not been thoroughly tested and may feed us but contain harmful qualities. This brings me to my second point...

2) Not only is there not enough food to sustain our growing population, there is not enough water. The stories we hear about people in Africa starving and dehydrated are distant and seem unreal, yet completely true. Sadly, and on a side note, those in Africa and less developed countries tend to have a higher birth rate, which leads to them also having a higher death rate. If we go on this way, water and food shortages will spread to countries that are more developed. There are solutions for water shortages, such as building more desalinization plants that remove salt from water. That way we could use ocean water. However, they are expensive to build and maintain, and many simply don't even know the potential of it.

3) Let's imagine for a moment, and say that the food and water shortage problems are totally solved, and the human growth rate has declined a bit and population growth is under control. We would still have tons of other major problems. The next I'd like to mention is a disconcerting lack of intelligence, particularly among those who have the means to help change the world into a better place for everyone. Yes, I'm talking about America, the UK, most countries in Europe, countries that have access to technology and resources. You can't really blame a person from a less developed country for not solving world issues- they're just trying to survive. But what excuse does someone who has probably more than enough food to eat, shelter, access to education (at least to books and the internet) have for not doing their part? In my experience, many people are more interested in entertainment: celebrities, video games, tv... I mean don't get me wrong, I love tv and games and such, but thats not reality! There is so much more to life, and everyone is going to suffer if we don't help fix the world! Honestly, scientists have predicted this sort of thing- they have predicted food shortages, water shortages- not the kind we hear about on those commercials on tv- it'll be a global problem soon, and by soon I mean by the end of the century, possibly within 20 years. We're not even talking about a better world for the next generation, but for ourselves too. Ok, sorry for ranting. Off to the next problem.

4) Warfare. I think it's basically a human instinct. When someone hurts us, or they have what we want, alot of people would do whatever it takes to get back at them, or to get what we want. Its primitive and natural. We want the better job, the better house. If the neighbor has a huge flat screen tv, we want a bigger one. Usually this doesn't cause warfare, but it definately doesn't encourage peace. Not only do we fight and disagree and hold grudges against silly things, but when we see people who are different from us (culturally, traditionally, lingually [if thats even a word...], physically, etc etc), we somehow feel a need to defend ourselves. Most of the time, they don't mean us any harm and we end up damaging both parties involved. Why not just accept differences? They are a way of life, and even necessary for survival on an evolutionary scale.

There are tons of other major problems. Political corruption, lack of common sense (which sort of falls along the lines of stupidity), pollution, crime, etc etc the list goes on. We shouldn't even try to picture a perfect world at this point, we just need to envision a world in which we and our children can live in and lead healthy, purposeful, and satisfying lives. To do this, we would need international cooperation, and I'd say at least 80% of the global human population to change their views about the world- the world isn't here for entertainment or for unlimited resource use. Yes the sky can be pretty, and animals can be entertaining, and we do need to use resources; but at this point we will simply run out of resources and many more species will go extinct. We need a system in which we can be stewards of the earth, using resources sustainably. Limiting global population growth. Engaging in intellectual activities. Spreading the thought of global peace around- who knows? It could become a reality.

At this point, I am hoping for change. I am trying to create change. But until more people become educated and understand these and other issues, it is my solemn and solid understanding that we, as the human species, are screwed.