As a young boy, I used to look at the stars and wonder about the adventures of people like Neil Armstrong. Years later, as a parent, I used to watch my children do the same and wonder about their future – would they be the ones to take holidays in the stars?
But today, when I get a precious evening with my grandson and we look up at the sky, I think of other children with lives so full of pollution they can’t even see the stars. And I wonder if my grandson will travel because of his sense of adventure or because he is forced to find safe air and water.
From 36,000 feet down in the ocean’s Mariana Trench, to 36,000 feet up in busy air traffic corridors, humans are polluting everything we need to eat, drink or breathe.
When did we slip from marveling at this amazing planet to casually destroying it? When did we become so numb to our surroundings that 13 deaths from a traffic accident can move us to tears, but up to 13 million deaths from pollution and environmental degradation can’t move us to action?
Chemicals are a big part of this pollution. We didn’t intend them to be. After all, they improve our lives in incredible ways. They provide clean water, medical care and hygiene, and they support agriculture, clean energy and job creation. In fact, they contribute to almost everything that we use and do.
But we are losing control of our own creations. We are introducing them across the planet much faster than we can assess their impact on our lives and much faster than we can get any problems back under control.
People talk about the existential risk of artificial intelligence. Yet this threat is already here with chemicals. Everyday items like pizza boxes, microwave popcorn and baby nappies are upsetting the hormonal balance of humans, wildlife and our entire food chain.
