In the future it will become difficult for humans to live on E | Mardon's Blog | IELTS 8.5

In the future it will become difficult for humans to live on Earth. For this reason, some people claim that more money should be spent on researching how humans could live on other planets, such as Mars.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Life on Earth is expected to get increasingly more challenging in the next century, which is why many argue that governments should start allocating more funding to space programmes targeting planets that sustain life. I completely agree with this assertion.

The global population is already approaching 8 billion people and according to many demographers this figure is already far higher than what our planet can accommodate. In fact, we have already started experiencing the shortage of many vital resources we need to support our lives including potable water and oil. The majority of inland countries including the ones in Central Asia and Africa are undergoing severe draughts during summer months which is posing a dire threat to agricultural crops. An overwhelming number of households are also struggling with lack of water for their daily needs. Moreover, energy crisis is also imminent since our oil reserves are being depleted at unparalleled rates. It is possible that humans will have major difficulties meeting their energy needs once oil reserves are exhausted. Therefore, life on Earth is expected to become difficult and the possibility of migrating to other planets should be considered more strongly.

Alongside with overpopulation and energy crisis, climate change is also an important reason why we should be financing space exploration more heavily. The effects of climate change are already making life impossible for many life forms-- both humans and animals-- in the Arctic Circle and on many Pacific Islands. Many Arctic animals such as polar bears are on the verge of extinction as their natural habitat no longer provides the necessary living conditions. Furthermore, as glaciers continue to melt, sea levels in many coastal areas are rising rapidly putting the coastal population at risk. For instance, the country of Tuvalu is predicted to go under water in the near future due to the rising sea levels and the population in this country is living their lives hoping for a permanent solution. Thus, it will not be long before the climate change makes conditions on planet Earth far from livable at which time moving to Mars will be the only option.

In conclusion, I believe the right course of action under the circumstances is to give space programmes a higher priority so that our option B is secured when Earth stops supporting life.

385 words ~35 mins

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