Final answer:
The demand by humans for Earth's resources far exceeds the sustainable capacity. Energy consumption, especially of oil, is unsustainable, and both global inequality and a looming water crisis contribute to the concern. Sustainable practices and global cooperation are essential to address these challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The world's demand for resources has significantly exceeded what the Earth can sustainably provide. As our planetary population continues to surge, with estimates reaching 9 billion by 2050, the strain on Earth's resources amplifies dramatically. With high-income countries consuming a disproportionate share of the resources, the disparity in resource consumption highlights the vast global inequality.
Energy is a core aspect of societal advancement, and resource consumption patterns indicate that around 31-35% of the world's energy is derived from oil, mainly for transportation. However, this level of consumption is deemed unsustainable, and our current trajectory points towards significant ecological and social challenges. The United States alone, which represents only 4.25% of the global population, consumes 21% of the world's oil production annually, exemplifying the tilt in resource usage.
Additionally, the water crisis exacerbates the problem, with about 20% of the global population lacking access to safe water. With the expected rise in population, especially in developing nations, there is a predicted increase in environmental stress and demand for natural resources, creating a critical need for sustainable engineering solutions and global consensus on consumption patterns.