August 11, 2007
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The State of the World
The Earth is a dynamic planet. Compared to the dead worlds that are closest to us and only change with an occasional meteor impact or volcanic eruption, we are amazingly active. The life that abounds on this planet is probably very rare, perhaps even unique.
A planet with such frantic activity is never the same from one second to the next, and keeping up with your environment is a challenge to all life here. As the environment changes, life forms either adapt themselves, try to adapt their environment, or perish.
Fortunately, geologic changes happen slowly enough so that many life forms can adapt, but the dominate life form on the dry 28% of this planet (us), seems to be altering the environment at too fast a rate for many of the other life forms in addition to preying on them at such high levels that many have become extinct. Either they were all eaten, their environment was destroyed, or human activity in one area has altered their area beyond their ability to adapt.
It's been only in the past couple of hundred years that we have become aware of the potential impact of our activities and we humans have found great difficulty in altering our behavior so as to make the Earth a more habitable place for life. We seem to be waking up to our "fouling our own (and only) nest" problem; but the jury is still out on whether we'll actually be able to alter our "natural" behavior to avoid becoming extinct ourselves.
I'm optimistic about our chances, but realistic about how hard the problem is to solve. Remember, almost all of our national, political, and cultural activity directly impinges on this problem. I think our first step is to recognize, accept, and understand the problem. The next steps will be the hardest, they will probably require a major adjustment in our attitudes and in our very basic nature.
Comments (9)
Let us not also underestimate how much our economic way of life impinges on the problem.
Our economic activities are probably our most active environment-changing efforts.
Since Economics is one of the Basic value Institutions, how might we change our economic direction effectivly?
This is just a tiny bit in the right direction, but there are corporations who seem to have found out that it pays to be low-impact in terms of the environment. You get more longevity out of the resources, better relationships with the community, etc. I believe it would help to encourage that thinking, by making it economically more attractive to consider the big picture environment-wise. You know, buying 'green' products and suchlike being a start. I hesitate to say an entirely new economic system is in order; but we are clearly in need of much tweaking in that area.
Would a change of economic direction counter the apparently rather ingrained tendency of humans to take destructive advantage of their surroundings? How do we most effectively go about changing our relationship to our environment?
I'm suprise that our leaders are not doing anything about it. Now that reflects the motive and reputation of our leaders. Thank god Al Gore takes the initiative to make a change even though he's not one of our leaders.
Good entry! The question in my mind these days is: What if we are the only life in a universe 78 billion lightyears in width? Until proven the contrary we have to accept that it is a possibility. How will that change our attitude as humans?
One reason that I'm optimistic is that awareness of the problem seems to be spreading, but such a drastic attitude change happens so slowly that significant ecological damage will probably continue to occur for many years.
The world your grandchildren inherit will be very different from this one - more different from that of your grandparents to now.
Worldwide education about the problem helps, but the word spreads verrrry slowly.
The basic problem seems to be what we label, "progress". The more, "developed" an area is, the more the individuals who live there tax the environment.
I'll never forget when I was a kid - I went to the dump with my brother. I was so confused - how can we just keep throwing stuff in this outdoor trash bin? Don't they eventually get filled up? I still have a lot of confusion over that - how we can just keep buying and throwing things away. In our society, the attitude is horrible - everyone is all about instant gratification. My generation seems to be the founding founders of a society that will probably be best described as, "throw away" - from things to relationships, everything is disposable. I'm certainly no saint among heathens, but it's horrible to see, regardless.
I have no suggestions here - but am very open to ideas!
interesting read.
We have a gift rule: If you can't drink it or eat it, don't give it. We have too much stuff already