The average human life expectancy is increasing, but this may not be a blessing but a threat to both nature and humans. The destruction of nature and the lack of healthy life expectancy can be disastrous for humans and nature, and this issue requires deep reflection and action.
Even now, the world’s population continues to grow. You can check the number of people in the world in real time by accessing a site called Population Clock, which shows the number of people changing every minute. As of November 2, 2024, the world population was 8,172,231,964. The world’s population is growing at an alarming rate. There are many factors that contribute to this growth, but the increasing life expectancy of humans is thought to play a large role.
Nowadays, we often hear the phrase “centenarians”. This is a metaphor for the fact that people are living longer and longer due to advances in science and medicine. The term “centenarians” is not just a buzzword. People are living longer and longer, and we’re on the verge of reaching 100. The “centenarian age” has actually arrived. In the caveman era, the average human life expectancy was around 10 years old. Compared to today, that’s a difference of almost 10 times. Since then, the average human lifespan has been steadily increasing, reaching the level it is today. But is this increase in life expectancy a blessing or a curse?
First of all, it is not a blessing for nature that we live longer. A recently published paper, “Socioecological predictors of invasive alien and endangered species around the world,” provides some insight into the impact of increasing human longevity on nature. The paper applies American ecologist Leopold’s “land ethics theory” to predict the health of nature. The researchers examined the economic and social factors that alter nature, among other human activities, and distilled them down to 15 variables, which they then applied to changes in endangered and invasive species of birds and mammals to see which variables produced the most accurate predictions. The results showed that human life expectancy was the most accurate predictor of changes in endangered and invasive species. As human life expectancy increases, the prediction is that human populations will grow and the natural environments in those areas will deteriorate rapidly, with human impacts in almost every region. In the end, the study found that as human life expectancy increases, the burden on nature increases, and nature’s life expectancy actually decreases. This clearly shows that the biggest enemy to the health of nature around the world is human life expectancy.
Furthermore, humans have historically defined the relationship between humans and nature as something to be conquered. This anthropocentric view of the relationship between humans and nature has allowed humans to alter and degrade nature to their liking without much guilt. Rather, it was taken for granted. For example, the indiscriminate logging of large portions of the Amazon, the “lungs of the earth,” for the benefit of their own countries, or the overfishing of endangered species for their own health are examples of how humans view nature. In these situations, increasing human longevity and population is hardly a blessing for nature.
So, is it a blessing for humans to live longer? I don’t think it is a blessing for humans. With the development of science and technology and medicine, human lifespan has gradually increased, and we can live longer than ever before. “Healthy life expectancy” is the period of time that reflects the ‘quality of life’ in the average life expectancy, excluding the period of inactivity due to illness or injury. Healthy life expectancy is used as an indicator of people’s well-being in the health sector. Currently, there is a gap of about 10 years between the average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in South Korea. This means that there are 10 years of time when people are unable to live a normal life due to injury or illness. The ultimate goal of health policy is to live a long and healthy life, but the world is only interested in living a long time. Korea’s academic community is also under-researched compared to its importance. Living longer is important, but living healthier is even more important. What is the value of increased longevity if it is not accompanied by a healthy life? If it is not guaranteed, a long life is not a blessing.
To summarize, living longer is not a blessing for nature or for humans, but it is a challenge that can be overcome and must be addressed. In order for human longevity not to pose a threat to the health of nature, we need to properly define the relationship between humans and nature. Humans are not in a position to conquer nature, but rather, along with other living things, we are part of a larger ecosystem called nature. Above all, we need to keep in mind that without nature, we wouldn’t be able to live. Therefore, we need to stop looking at nature from a selfish perspective and start looking at it as a member of nature, respecting the right of animals and plants to survive. This may not make human longevity a blessing for nature, but at least it won’t be a disaster.
In addition, for human longevity to be a true blessing, we need to focus not just on living longer, but on living longer in good health, as Dr. Byung Ho Choi, President of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Research, pointed out earlier. Academics should focus their research on living a long life with a good quality of life, and health policies should follow suit. Individuals need to take control of their health to keep up with the increasing life expectancy and increase their ‘healthy years’. If you don’t want to end your life in bed, you need to work hard to stay healthy, active, and enjoy your increasingly longer life. When we increase our own “healthy life expectancy” instead of relying solely on “life expectancy,” we can achieve disease-free longevity instead of disease-ridden longevity.
It’s human nature to want to live longer. However, humans are currently only following their instincts and running ahead to live longer without looking back at their surroundings. We are too harsh on nature and ourselves. It’s time to stop following instinct and start looking around and thinking rationally. I hope that the average life expectancy of humans will increase, so that living longer will be a blessing for both nature and humans.
