The Climate Crisis Could Literally Mean The Extinction Of Humans

We’ve come a long way in terms of evolution but in the past 21 thousand years evolution has stopped and now our planet is declining thanks to climate change. Although scientists are looking for other habitable planets outside of Earth in case our beloved planet should perish, the damaging chemicals and materials are already killing us too. This damage to our race is slowly creeping up on us and it’s not as obvious to everyone.

The culprit that threatens to diminish us is in single use plastics. The chemical in plastic in particular is called phthalates and it’s found in cosmetics, personal care products, room fresheners and anything fragranced. These chemicals have the ability to lower testosterone. Not only that but these chemicals have also made the general population’s fertility decline. Women are less fertile than their grandmother’s were and men have less sperm count then their grandfather’s therefore fertility of the general population is still gradually decreasing.

Another hazardous chemical that is affecting our fertility is Bisphenol A. Bisphenols interfere with our reproduction and the development of our bodies. Bisphenols are found in pesticides, flame retardants and containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles.

It’s not just older people that are having trouble conceiving, it’s also younger people. Professor of Environmental Medicine Shanna Swan predicts that most couples will need assisted reproduction by the year 2045; I am directly speaking to this hidden problem people don’t like to talk about, which is their sub-fertility or reproductive problems, and how that is tied to the environment. People are recognising we have a reproductive health crisis, but they say it’s because of delayed childbearing, choice or lifestyle — it can’t be chemical. I want people to recognise it can. I am not saying other factors aren’t involved. But I am saying chemicals play a major causal role. It is difficult to use that word, “cause”, but it’s a body of evidence. We have mechanisms, animal studies, and multiple human studies.

Although there are many advancements in reproductive surgeries like IVF and Ovarian Replacement Surgery, these treatments are expensive and shouldn’t be used for the bulk of the population if we are going to survive as a species. So as you can see, plastic is not just killing off our planet but also our species, so inhabiting Mars is not the answer and is only escaping a mess that we need to clean up.

So besides taking action on climate change in general, how do we reduce our exposure to these harmful chemicals? Well we can wash our fruit and vegetables and buy them from trusted local sources, eat fewer processed, canned and packaged foods which will reduce your intake of BPA, limiting your intake of oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) and fatty meats reduces your consumption of POPs, pesticides, heavy metals and fat-soluble chemicals that can accumulate in animals,avoiding handling sales receipts or storing them in your wallet. The thermal coating contains BPA to give them their shiny plastic texture, never heating food in soft plastic takeaway containers or those covered with cling wrap or foil. Instead, place food in a china or glass bowl and cover it with a paper towel or a china plate before heating. When they are heated, phthalates and bisphenols in plastic can easily be absorbed into the food, especially if it is fatty. The heating process also releases dioxins from the plastics that can be absorbed into the food.

These are just a few things we can do to reduce our exposure to these chemicals that are affecting our fertility and less of these products will be better for the planet as well. Action on Climate change will not only benefit ourselves but also our planet and everything that we love so much about it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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