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ysabetwordsmithShould we protect nature for its own sake? For its economic value? Because it makes us happy? Yes
Extinction is part of life on Earth. Through much of our planet’s history, species have been forming, evolving and eventually disappearing.
Today, however, human activities have dramatically sped up the process.
Congratulations, humanity, your contribution to life on Earth is about the same as that of an asteroid smacking into it. >_<
The Earth is losing animals, birds, reptiles and other living things so fast that some scientists believe the planet is entering the sixth mass extinction in its history.
Yeah, the numbers make that obvious. Some people are just too ashamed to admit it.
There’s broad agreement that there is a biodiversity crisis, but there are many different views about why protecting it is important.
Sure there are lots of reasons. But the root of it is this: don't saw off the branch we're all standing on. If we don't protect the biosphere, we will die out.
That said, humans tend to be self-centered. So any argument you can muster that motivates someone to work on protecting nature is an argument worth using. More often that not, that means identifying the person's self-interest in nature. Take what you can get.
Extinction is part of life on Earth. Through much of our planet’s history, species have been forming, evolving and eventually disappearing.
Today, however, human activities have dramatically sped up the process.
Congratulations, humanity, your contribution to life on Earth is about the same as that of an asteroid smacking into it. >_<
The Earth is losing animals, birds, reptiles and other living things so fast that some scientists believe the planet is entering the sixth mass extinction in its history.
Yeah, the numbers make that obvious. Some people are just too ashamed to admit it.
There’s broad agreement that there is a biodiversity crisis, but there are many different views about why protecting it is important.
Sure there are lots of reasons. But the root of it is this: don't saw off the branch we're all standing on. If we don't protect the biosphere, we will die out.
That said, humans tend to be self-centered. So any argument you can muster that motivates someone to work on protecting nature is an argument worth using. More often that not, that means identifying the person's self-interest in nature. Take what you can get.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-09-17 09:16 am (UTC)I'm reminded of Coruscant, the capitol city of the Galaxy in Star Wars. It's a planet completely engulfed in a city miles deep to the point where the tip of the highest mountain, the last remaining bit of natural surface, is a feature in a park several levels down.
I shuddered when I saw it... sure it looks amazing, until you realise you're looking at a corpse of what was once a living world.
Plus, I have this bad feeling that it presages our future, with the remaining bits of 'nature' carefully preserved in wild-life parks and so on, and nowhere to escape the ever watchful eye of The State and other people.
Yes ...
Date: 2024-09-17 09:42 am (UTC)However, it's not really feasible unless you have truly stupendous amounts of technology, like Star Trek replicators that make anything you want. Even then, you will have a hard time keeping the population up unless you reproduce it artificially, keeping people from eating each other due to overcrowding, going insane from lack of greenery, and just plain dying because they adapted to a natural habitat and can't actually live without it.
Look at America. Most of the population has moved into crowded, noisy, filthy cities. A majority of people are unhealthy and unhappy in these conditions. They are desperately lonely, and a lot of them don't even realize that it's for more than just other humans, they're lonely for a place with green growing things and food that doesn't come out of a can or a carton. :/
They are determined to continue this experiment despite all the signs that it's a really bad idea.
Yeah ... I'll be out in my yard.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2024-09-17 03:52 pm (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2024-09-18 01:38 am (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2024-09-18 08:58 am (UTC)However, the species crowding level still applies, and there's only so much that can be done to buffer that. It's possible to raise the carrying capacity quite high, but people don't always bother to do that, which causes trouble.
Also, scientific studies indicate that humans -- or at least most of them -- need greenspace to be healthy and happy.
Humans have a very bad habit of building ghettos and stuffing people into them, with health-wrecking results. The neighborhoods that most need parks and street trees are least likely to have them.