We’ve touched on the future sustainability of our species here on ‘a New Life in the Sea’ several times over the past couple of years. ‘Sustainability’ is a buzzword that has been used in the context of endangered terrestrial species – particularly those impacted by human development; and for marine species – again, in the context of sustainable harvest or sustainable fishing practices. When considering our global balance, which is a delicate one at that, we often do not consider sustainability of the human species.

Modern humans, Homo sapiens, are just as susceptible to the way our world turns as every other species here on Earth. Despite being at the top of the food chain where our survival is not so dependent on predator-prey interaction, or habitat destruction by some other top predator, our anthropogenic influences on Planet Earth may very well lead to our own downfall. For consideration, we haven’t been here that long in the grand scheme of things. In fact, our species Homo sapiens has only been tromping around for 200,000 years. Another highly advanced hominid – Homo erectus – was here for nearly 2 MILLION years. Clearly, H. erectus must have been evolved beyond our comprehension, and even they fell victim to something such that they are now extinct. We are NOT exempt from the laws of nature.

In my opinion, the single epidemic that could very well lead to the downfall of the human race is overpopulation. This is such a controversial subject, as it touches on civil rights, freedoms to bear children, social welfare, and at the roots of it all – just simple science.

There is an inevitable truth that we must face, and that is that Planet Earth will approach critical mass of a dominantly influential single species (humans) and quite possibly within our lifetimes. The pressures we place on our planet raise great questions about sustainability, and if not carefully managed, these pressures will be the end of the world as we know it.

This is real, and it is happening.

What to do? For starters, we need to consider that we only inhabit terra firma – less than 25% of our planet’s surface area. The remainder, oceana incognita, includes the balance of 75% surface area, but more than 95% of living space! Sadly, and possibly to our demise as a species, we do not inhabit any of it, yet do not hesitate to dip our hands into its resources and do unrecoverable damage.

Enter Dennis Chamberland. Building upon a near 30 year global investment (1950’s-80’s) into undersea habitation that was since shelved by government, Chamberland has been there consistently, and continues to make strides in taking humanity where it is destined to thrive – underwater – making full and practical use of our Blue Planet. That is why we are here, and that is where evolution will take us. Dennis stands among the very few individuals thinking well outside the box of normalcy, but well within the realities of the future of humanity. The following short video highlights his current work to launch the Atlantica I & II Missions within the next two years:

Only blatant ignorance stands in the way of enabling the sustainability and future survivorship of the human race. Until the powers that be stand behind work such as Dennis’, the onus is on each and every one of us to do our duty as citizens of our ‘Blue Planet’, and cooperatively self-educate to become true ‘citizens of the sea’. The implications of this revolutionary endeavor run deep, and are inevitable in the course of our evolution.

In close (for today anyway), I leave you with some words from Jacques Cousteau himself, “Man has only to sink beneath the surface, and he is free”.

Cousteau implies that our terrestrial entrapment inhibits our freedoms – consider ‘a new life in the sea’.