Part Two

     The effects of mankind upon his host planet are varied and many. Further, the negative effects of mankind upon his host planet are varied and many. Is an example really necessary to prove that claim? Any small child can look out at the world around her and see the trash that litters the streets. Only by living under a rock could one conceivably hide from the facts. Mankind has not been gentle upon the earth.

     This brings me back to the question at hand: What is wrong with the world? Surely, the answer is “Mankind”. Although mankind has only utilized his skill just as any other creature would, he is still the problem.

     In a surprising turn of events, I would like to submit the refreshing rebuttal that we are not the problem.  The problem is our attitude about ourselves. When we look at the problems of the world, who is always the culprit? Lions and tigers and bears? Oh my, of course not. We, human beings, are the culprits. The facts will back me up: humanity is having a negative effect on the planet.

     When we look at the problems of the world, what is the go to solution? The most common answer that I am aware of is that humans should be less involved. We are bad people; thus, we need to reduce our impact.

     It is this attitude that is stopping us from solving the problem. Because we see ourselves as the problem, it is impossible to see ourselves as the solution. In order to change the world, in order to make sure that this planet will be around for our children and our children’s children, we need to see ourselves as the solution.

     Nothing will change unless this attitude changes. Focusing on the negative, ignoring the silver lining, denying the possibilities, will never lead to advancement. How many achievements have been accomplished by those who believe themselves unworthy of their goals? Did the Wright brothers propel humanity into the skies with the belief that they were fundamentally unable to fly?

     We are prisoners on this broken planet, and our shackles and chains are the thought that we are a problem. Scientists and the media drill this into our heads: humanity is a poison. Our poison is seeping into the planet and destroying it.

     Just as the story Hitler told was enacted by the Germans, so is this story taken to heart. We are the problem because we are told we are the problem and because we are enacting that particular story. Obviously, there is truth to this story; every story hides some drop of reality. Obviously, there is a basis of truth to the idea that humankind has not been so kind to its host.

     However, as long as we tell ourselves this, the longer it shall be perpetuated. The story that is whispered into our ears is the story that dictates our actions.  How can we ever become a solution when the Mother Culture’s cries of our unworthiness are echoing from every square inch of the land and sky?

     We have as much right to this planet as any other creature. Neither the giraffe nor the hamster nor the badger would be a better conservator than we have shown ourselves to be.  Surely, we have not succeeded, but neither have we failed. 

     It’s time to turn the page, move on to the next chapter, and never forget the last. The last chapter in our history has shown what we are capable of. The next chapter will show us who we are.

     Are we saviors? Are we heroes? Or will we sit idly by and wallow under the smothering “knowledge” that we are the problem?

     It’s time to turn to the next story, the one that wrote us as victors and heroes. Only by seeing ourselves as the solution will we ever become the solution. This story is still being written, but it is time to ask ourselves the burning question.

     Will the protagonists be ready?

Part One

     What is wrong with the world?

     How many thousands of times has that question been asked and answered over the ages? Most frequently, the answer is “Man”. Man broke free from his place in the slime, alongside the crawling and creeping creatures, and, in doing so, he broke free from the natural order of things. He tipped the scale, and the world is dying because of it. The ice caps are melting; endangered species are disappearing; chaos is rampant. Why? Because Man was not content to lay in the slime.     

     Who can dispute that the world ran smoothly for millions of years before the appearance of the first Homo Sapiens. The birds and the animals and the plants fulfilled their nature, existed in their cycles, thriving and perpetuating. Every creature was in its place, happy to be a part of the system.

     However, there came a day when one creature was not so happy. This creature, proud and innovative, wondered why he should crawl in the slime alongside those who slithered and crept along. He pulled himself up and surveyed the land around him and, contrary to popular belief, it was not good. It was not good at all. In fact, it was so far from good, that man set forth the conquer the world that had nourished him for so long. No more was he satisfied to be ruled by nature. No longer would he subject himself to the will of the gods. The world around this creature—let’s call him Man—was unfit to support him. Man began to settle the world, justifying this by calling his mission a mission to bring order.  For, of course, the natural order of things had been in place for too long. Never mind that this order had kept the planet in harmony for ages.

     The world resisted, as was in its nature. It fought Man at every turn, sending hail to beat his crops down, sending droughts to starve his people, sending wild animals to stalk his children. At each turn, Man fought back, for it was in his nature to persevere. Eventually, Man was able to tame this wild landscape.

     Reading this account, one might sit back and sigh, wondering what early Man’s problem was. Why did he feel the need to fight the world? Why could he not sit back and enjoy the bounty before him?

     Would one criticize the nature of a tiger? Would one look down upon the squirrel for acting as a squirrel does? Of course not. So why is it acceptable to criticize Man, saying that he was not within his rights to better his situation? If the tiger or the squirrel had had the ability or access to the resources necessary to rise above the other animals and protect his young, making sure that never again would they endure hunger or cold or preventable death, can one say with any certainty that the tiger or the squirrel would not seize that opportunity firmly, with both paws, and ride it to the top of the food chain?

     We are animals. The tigers of the savannah and the squirrels of the trees are our brethren. Even modern science backs this up, showing the huge amount of genetic background we have in common with our furry brothers and sisters. We, as animals, are subject to instinct. What is the strongest instinct ingrained in any creature of the land, sea, or sky? The instinct to survive.

     Early Man did only as his instincts demanded of him when he rose from the sludge and claimed dominion over the earth. He did not take this course with a smile and a laugh, giddy with the thought of dominating his fellow creatures. Neither power nor pursuit of glory nor divine intervention motivated Man to seek his current place in the world. Survival is the only goal, and early Man just happened to be the first creature of the slime to see the most efficient way.  Thusly, Man fought and clawed and struggled to the top of the food chain, with the intention of never watching his children starve before him, or fight another animal for a place in the chain, or freeze to death in the cold.

     Man has neither the claws of the tiger or the quickness of the squirrel or the size of the elephant. What does he have? He has his mind. He has his ability to fashion tools and implement them. He has the initiative to farm the foods he wants and preserve them for a long winter.  Just as the tiger uses his claws and the squirrel uses his speed and the elephant uses his size, Man used his mind to give his offspring the greatest chance of survival. The world is harsh. Who but a fool would not do what he could to better his odds?

Stay tuned for Part Two

Viva la Evolucion!

     It’s impossible to denounce the fact that the quality of life on this particular planet is somewhat less than ideal. There are areas of the world where simply belonging to a certain gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation can get you killed. There are areas of the world where the air is sometimes too filthy to breathe. There are areas of the world where people are dying because they don’t have anything to eat.

     If you can imagine it, if you can wrap your mind around this concept, there are areas of the world where just the opposite is occurring. There are places where food is thrown out and sent away to rot because people are too full to eat it. There are places where the air is clean. Where a man or a woman can walk down a street and feel reasonably confident that no one will hurt them that day, based on the color of their skin or the God they worship.

     Obviously, we, as humans, are doing something wrong. In Ishmael, it is suggested that humankind would do well to abandon this lifestyle and revert to a more tribal way of life. A way of life in harmony with the planet, wherein we would live as equals alongside the butterflies and tigers and goldfish.  After all, Ishmael asserts, humankind lived in harmony with Earth and all her inhabitants for billions of years. It is only in recent history that the planet has been “ruined”.

     At first, that seems like a valid point. Tribalism worked splendidly! Our evolution as social creatures is what triggered this insanity.

     Key word: Evolution.  Every creature on this planet, from slugs to human beings, is engineered to evolve. It is in our nature.

     Should we really revert back to tribalism? Or would that be stunting our evolution? Is it even conceivable that this race could evolve so far and then suddenly regress in such a way?

     Personally, I do not believe this is a viable plan of action. However, it is possible to keep evolving. That, after all, is the hallmark of humanity: progress. We are always moving forward.

      It is conceivable to meet Ishmael halfway, to continue with this forward momentum, but to turn ever so slightly onto a path that will lead us, once again, to harmony with the planet. With every innovation that we make, it becomes easier and easier to “go green”.  Electric cars, solar panels, biodegradable materials. Each of those and more make it imaginable that one day, humans will not be the troublesome tenants of Mother Earth that we are today.

     Tribalism did work well, for a very long time. But the thing to remember is this. It worked. Past tense. It is the nature of every creature to evolve; that is impossible to deny. Our evolution was to be expected.

     The goal at this point should be to continue evolving, at a faster and more focused pace. In my eyes, it simply isn’t feasible to move backwards. The past is the past, and it can never be the future.

     Moving forwards, though? It’s in our nature. 

*The picture of the monkey was taken from: www.mrwallpaper.com*