Every comment so far, has humans in the center. I live on an island and there are no predators. Here the rabbit and deer populations have exploded. The deer often starve in the winter and the rabbits get to a certain size and then develop a disease which cuts down their numbers. This is a problem for those species but is not human caused. Our porblems are the same as the rabbits and deer - too many of us subsisting on limited natural resources. Nature keeps trying to establish a balance and we keep thwarting her.

Yes is our drive for survival and breeding but every form of life has that same drive. We think we are smart to beat Mother Nature but we aren't really that smart and this is one woman who will win in the end. One of the emphasises of this site was to promote overpopulation (along with the Humanist and Freedom From Religion Foundation).

Religion, power, greed, and the compulsion to control others.

The root is human nature. Beyond that are things like greed, need for safety and simplicity. In addition, psychopaths contribute. Wikipedia says, "Psychopathy has a much higher prevalence in the convicted and incarcerated population, where it is thought that an estimated 15–25% of prisoners qualify for the diagnosis. A study on a sample of inmates in the UK found that 7.7% of the inmates interviewed met the PCL-R cut-off of 30 for a diagnosis of psychopathy. A study on a sample of inmates in Iran using the PCLV found a prevalence of 23% scoring 18 or more. A study by Nathan Brooks from Bond University found that around one in five corporate bosses display clinically significant psychopathic traits - a proportion similar to that among prisoners." .....Etc.

World wasnt setup to work for us.

Seeing a starving child as a problem someone else will take care of.

Religion.

Religion (not so much belief in god, as this is not necessarily the same as religion)

I think it was a pesky talking snake that encouraged a naked lady to add more fruit to her diet.

Schools not being secular of course! Sad thing is it would take 25yrs or so before those kids were policy makers....

Hello, death can be the root of all problems. Imagine if no one has to die. Nothing to kill or die for (John Lennon).

I think all problems may stem from selfishness. We are all selfish by nature in that we need food and water and shelter. But we are also selfish by nature that we want companionship and recognition. None of these are bad by itself but can be destructive when extrapolated out. Acknowledging this fact can help us try to think of what our individual selfish actions may be doing to affect those immediately around us or to the world at large. Interesting question.

Corruption and greed.

Human desires. Without this there would be no problems only facts.

Greed and the corruption that comes with it and religion.

God

I should add that religion plays on the greed by saying god has entitled us to this land or oil reserve.

Humans

The Rooth is humans starting cultivaring land instead of roaming Free. Read Yuval Hararis ”Sapiens”. Christian

Humanity?

Good question. I believe narrow minded self importance and greed, on the part of the few rich people who run things. I believe if there was truly equal rights and real justice, we would be alot better off here on earth.

I'm going to go for craving and ignorance but I am a Buddhist

HUMANITY!!! Not that complicated.

The human monkey. No humans...no problems.

Greed

The Ego. If people weren't ego maniacs we could stop wars, feed, cloth, and house everone, and solve all the world's problems.