Earth is the home of humankind — a planet that harbours life. This Earth is nature, and nature provides everything humanity needs to survive. But today, the Earth’s environment is in danger. We live at a time when it is essential to discuss the very real possibility of total ecological collapse.
Our current social system, human freedom, and our relationship with nature are trapped in a mechanical worldview that directly contradicts ecological imperatives. We are alive because nature is alive. The Earth gives us life. We are an integral part of it — deeply connected through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the nourishment we receive.
Since we depend on nature for our survival, destroying nature is a violation of our human rights to food, water, life, and livelihood. We do not “grant” rights to nature; Mother Earth has her own rights. We must recognise her rules and live by them.
The Global Nature Conservation Index 2024 ranks India 176th out of 180 countries. India’s bottom position is primarily due to inefficient land management and growing threats to biodiversity.
Scientists have warned that Earth’s life-support systems are so damaged that the planet is becoming unsafe. According to scientific assessments, six out of nine “planetary boundaries” have already been breached due to human-made pollution and the destruction of natural resources. These boundaries are linked to major global systems — climate, water, and biodiversity — that are critical to keeping Earth healthy.
Breaching these boundaries means Earth has moved far away from the safe and stable state that existed from the end of the last ice age (about 10,000 years ago) until the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
Over the past 50 years, more than half of all birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish have disappeared from the Earth. The current extinction rate is 100 to 1,000 times higher than before humans existed — considered the greatest extinction event since the dinosaurs. This directly affects our food and water security and increasingly threatens our physical and mental health.
According to the State of the Global Climate Report 2025, the planet’s weather has become more unbalanced than at any time in recorded history. Rising greenhouse gases are steadily heating the atmosphere and oceans, melting ice. For the first time, the report includes Earth’s “energy imbalance” as a key climate indicator. That imbalance is now the highest in 65 years of record-keeping.
Both ecological science and ancient wisdom teach us that all life depends on soil. Living soil is a complex, life-filled food web. The life within soil regenerates fertility and provides nutrients to plants, supporting our agriculture. But agriculture has become a major source of greenhouse gases, threatening future food security.
Reducing or eliminating chemical fertilisers and pesticides can cut emissions. Natural farming offers an effective solution. It increases soil’s water-holding capacity, conserves water, and builds resilience against extreme weather like drought and floods. It boosts biodiversity and makes crops more resistant to climate change. Diverse cropping improves soil health and helps control pests and diseases.
Wetlands — often called the “kidneys of the Earth” — are being neglected. In villages and cities, they are being filled in for farming and housing. Yet ponds, reservoirs, and coastal areas are not only habitats for thousands of living organisms; they are also vital in fighting climate change. Wetlands absorb carbon dioxide, lower temperatures, and reduce pollution. The carbon absorption capacity of swamps is nearly double that of forests.
This crisis also deeply affects the Earth’s economy. More than 99 percent of plastic is produced from fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Our daily plastic use is directly linked to mining and extraction industries, rising emissions, pollution, and environmental injustice. The entire plastic life cycle — from extraction and production to disposal — shows how industrial and policy decisions shape these impacts.
Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, while only a quarter of the land is directly available for our use. Despite this, we are exploiting natural resources excessively and unevenly. A study led by scientist Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University in Australia found that the human population has exceeded Earth’s long-term carrying capacity. Based on two centuries of population data, the study concludes that at current consumption levels, Earth cannot sustainably support humanity.
The stability, resilience, and human well-being of the Earth system are deeply interconnected — yet this interdependence is often ignored. If resources are used fairly and in a balanced way, poverty eradication and environmental security can be achieved for all.
To ensure resource availability and planetary stability for everyone, we must reduce inequalities in access to critical resources such as water and nutrients, alongside economic and technological changes. The concept of a “safe and just space” provides a scientific foundation for this direction.
Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas remain extremely relevant here. He believed that humans should take from nature only what they need — not based on greed or overconsumption. He valued simplicity, self-restraint, and a balanced lifestyle. Gandhi warned against mindless industrialisation and excessive dependence on machines. He championed swadeshi (self-reliance) and gram swaraj (village self-rule), where sustainable use of local resources benefits both society and the environment.
“Take the least and give the most” — that is the core mantra of sustainable development: development that maintains balance among environment, society, and economy. Living in harmony with nature is not a new idea. Indigenous communities have followed this way of life for centuries. They understand nature’s cycles and balance, taking only what is necessary and leaving the rest for nature.
The circumstances force us to think: to save the Earth, we must urgently change our lifestyles, consumption patterns, and direction of development. A movement is growing to define violence against nature and violations of ecological justice as the crime of “ecocide” under international law. Around the world, people are taking steps to prevent damage and destruction to ecosystems that harm the health and well-being of all species, including humans.
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*Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Union
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