Human evolution might be the biggest threat to solving the climate crisis, according to a new study from the University of Maine. The research aimed to understand how the process of cultural adaptation to the environment, a significant driver of human evolution, impacts our ability to address global environmental issues.
Over the last 100,000 years, human groups have progressively exploited a wider range of resources with increasing intensity and environmental impact. This expansion, facilitated by cultural adaptation, has been beneficial for our species, allowing humans to colonize all habitable land worldwide.
However, this success has come at a cost. Human cultural adaptations, such as the industrial use of fossil fuels, have led to significant environmental problems, exhausting the physical limits of the biosphere.
The study found that sustainable environmental protection systems often emerge only after resource struggles or failures, and effective systems usually address issues within societies, not between them.
According to study author Tim Waring, an evolutionary biologist and associate professor with the University of Maine, human evolution is mostly driven by cultural change, which is faster than genetic evolution. This greater speed of adaptation has made it possible for humans to colonize all habitable land worldwide.
The findings of the study shed light on the complex relationship between human evolution and the environment. As humans continue to evolve and adapt, the study warns that our success in cultural adaptation may pose a threat to the future of the Earth.
