Scan Indicates Earth is Stage IV

A 1-Page Prognosis

If a doctor was looking at the image below like an MRI of the body or brain of any living being—the light and purple parts being the concentration of another organism or condition—they’d conclude this patient is likely terminal.

Of course what we are really looking at is the planet Earth, with the light and purple parts representing human “modification” of the terrestrial surface, according to David M. Theobald et al. The lighter area is considered the max level of modification.

Here’s an interactive version of this map with a key.

Prognosis

Like cancer cells, human activities expand without natural checks, prioritizing unchecked growth over harmony. This relentless spread devours ecosystems at unsustainable rates, destabilizing Earth’s vital systems—climate regulation, soil fertility, and water cycles—and leading to symptoms such as biodiversity loss, desertification, and extreme weather.

Treatment Plan

Radical Intervention: Cease destructive practices such as deforestation and resource extraction, while prioritizing rewilding and ecosystem restoration.

Systemic Transformation: Shift from economies based on perpetual growth to models rooted in sustainability and sufficiency, a 'Great Simplification' that respects planetary limits.

This diagnosis, while sobering, calls for a commitment to repair and resilience. The Earth is resilient if given the chance, but that window narrows as the cancer spreads unchecked.

The Energy Transition as Treatment

While solar, wind, and other alternatives to fossil fuels may alleviate carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, they fail to address the underlying systemic issues. These technologies still rely on resource extraction and land modification, perpetuating and enabling the same industrial-growth paradigm that caused the ecological crisis.

Collapse Expected

For further exploration of these themes, consider examining how collapse might unfold and the choices humanity faces in the lead-up to such conditions.

Given humanity’s reluctance to abandon business-as-usual, it is likely that collapse will be the only force capable of halting our trajectory. In the lead-up to collapse, our priorities must shift toward resilience, community, and preparing for the inevitable challenges that lie ahead.