Tilting Towards Catastrophe: How Earth’s Shifting Axis Could Herald Humanity’s Demise

Harshit Mittal
August 20, 2024

The Earth does not stay put in one place but slowly turns on its axis, silently dancing in the cosmos—a process that may one day decimate life on this planet. This understated change may seem like a minor issue, but it very well can shake our very existence to its core. While it is common knowledge that the earth’s tilt is at an angle of 23.5 degrees, few people are aware that it was not always so. Little does anyone know that it was once 24.1 degrees and now, after centuries, is 23.5. The movements of Earth remain unnoticed by unsuspecting humans as each living generation passes through time without seeing how its North Pole gradually moves away from true north at a rate of about 10 centimeters every year. A minute yet relentless shift like this could someday change the balance of our climate and plunge future generations into a world filled with surprises. It arrives slowly but surely, a quiet phantom poised to transform the destiny of life on earth. And just so, inch by inch, this steady slant could be the obscure architect behind Earth’s next great metamorphosis.

One of the largest contributors to the issue is the renowned challenge of global warming and how it causes mass redistribution. The decline of ice sheets is the major source of it. As a result, regions such as Greenland, Antarctica, and mountain glaciers have experienced ice melting, resulting in the transfer of huge masses from concentrated land areas towards the oceans. The redistribution of mass can modify slightly the shape and moments of inertia (that is, how masses are distributed relative to rotation) for a planet that is an oblate spheroid (flattened at the poles but bulging at the equator), not a perfect sphere.

As recognized, the main issue is mass redistribution, which is being done primarily through activities like mining done by corporations. After extracting the required resources from different locations all around the world, these materials are sent worldwide, displacing the mass equilibrium. While the mass of these resources might be minuscule compared to that of the Earth, every small error adds up. As time passes and more of such extraction and redirection happens, it will, centuries later, toll up to have a larger effect on the axis tilt, posing a larger threat.

You might be thinking okay, I understand that human actions could have an impact on the Earth’s axis tilt, but is it really that bad? What will happen even if the tilt does change a little bit?

This change in tilt is the reason for our four seasons and also influences ecosystems and agriculture by determining climatic patterns. This includes areas around the equator where there is little variation across the year because of this, thus making continuous farming possible throughout the year. On the other hand, those at a higher altitude experience significant changes in climate as a result of which their growing seasons tend to be shorter, which can occur within 4-6 months only. For instance, greater tilts, such as 24 to 25 degrees, would mean hotter summers but colder winters that could make unviable about 10-15% of productive land found in some regions due to extreme temperatures. A tilt closer to around 22 degrees might make climates more moderate while lengthening grower periods in particular locations but possibly disrupting existing seasonal cycles for many ecological systems. These movements may cause shifts in species ranges and biodiversity, which would threaten global food availability and sustainability for ecosystems relied upon by agriculture, among others, destroying the equilibrium and flow on Earth and forcing animal migrations worldwide.

What is the solution?

It is critical we act now. Governments should provide funding and resources for the development of drought and heat-resistant crops through advanced agricultural research like genetic modification and selective breeding. They should create varieties that can survive under extreme temperatures and irregular growing conditions, among others, by using new technology. Sustainable farming practices, such as crop rotation, agroforestry, conservation tillage, improving soil health, increasing water use efficiency, reducing reliance on chemical inputs, and making the agricultural sector more adaptive to climate change, are some things they should focus on. They are to improve ecosystem preservation, which entails protecting and rehabilitating forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats while creating migration pathways for fish species moving in response to environmental changes. Shifting from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines will slow global warming effects related to Earth’s tilt, a crucial step for us to take. Consequently, a globally connected system is necessary where knowledge on this concern is shared among nations together with technological advancements for fighting the menace that comes along with it, while the education of the public coupled with campaigns aimed at creating awareness could lead them into adopting sustainable practices, hence preserving our food production systems alongside ecosystems in the long run.

You might think, how can one person contribute to such an enormous issue? However, we can do this indirectly through small actions like saving energy, using renewable sources of energy, and/or avoiding car usage when not required, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. By promoting such practices as recycling and sustainable agriculture, supporting climate science and policy initiatives, and being part of environmental campaigns, we all contribute to a greener Earth. People might not know, but steadily this is approaching us; we must cut it off before we lose control of it. We MUST act now