Mankind's Place in the 22nd Century

December 31, 2099 is the last day of the 21st century. Mankind still lives in the early years of the century, but a lot has already happened. There were highs and lows in several aspects of society like global politics, the environment, and science and technology.

Many achievements make people believe in a bright future for mankind. However, there are several devastating events and catastrophes that convince people that mankind will not live to see the 22nd century.

People who agree say they have more reasons than they could count.

First, countries have not really been free of war and conflict. Some countries are still involved in territorial disputes. Peace is volatile because wars are always on the verge of breaking out due to terrorism and religious differences.

Another reason is the earth’s degradation. According to pessimists, it was already too late when world leaders have reached a united stand against climate change. On top of that, the Paris Agreement (also known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), has not really required the commitment of the members.

Some of the people who believe mankind will not reach the 22nd century are firm believers that the different diseases that plague and take the lives of humans are nature’s way of controlling the population. However, the world is overwhelmingly overpopulated, and populations still continue to grow at high rates. Given this scenario, diseases will be more likely to spread and wipe out the human population by the end of the 21st century.

People who don’t believe so say that mankind is living in the best of times for a lot of reasons.

First, countries are more involved in preserving peace and preventing another world war from happening. Countries are now more invested in diplomatic relations with each other.

Second, the effort to save the earth from climate change is bigger because of countries working with each other to help lower the earth’s temperature. With countries united in achieving a common goal, it would be much easier for countries to fight permanent environmental destruction.

Third, mankind has made a lot of achievements in science and technology in the 21st century than in any other centuries before it. People are now more equipped with scientific knowledge to handle different types of crises. Through science, people have also discovered a lot about the human body, allowing them to study about deadly diseases and how to fight them.